[lit-ideas] Re: Bananafish, and Marcus Aurelius on Nothing
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 27 May 2005 09:21:47 -0700
While the esteemed members of this list have been tusseling with taxes,
rights and the rummy roles of religion, I have visited the library
bookstore, where finally I found the "Meditations of Marcus Aurelius," a
work Jeeves is always quoting. And what do I find in this old but undated
edition? An envelope, addressed to Miss L. R. G. of Riverside Drive, New
York City. It's postmarked October 30, 1918. The return address is Co. 594
Barracks 942 East, Camp Farragut, Great Lakes Ill. What a Wodehousian plot
is here! Boy goes off to war. Girl takes up Marcus Aurelius to distract
herself, reaches page thirty two and marks it with the envelope from a
letter sent by her beau. But then what? Aunts and movie moguls and
gangsters must be involved. Perhaps one of you would like to draft it?
You don't know M.A.? After some stuff about the Cynic Monimus, a good many
pages later we come to an interesting version of the "nothing comes of
nothing" scheme, linking it to the usual "we're all in this together"
wheeze. "If our intellectual part is common, the reason also, in respect of
which we are rational beings, is common; if this is so, common also is the
reason which commands us what to do, and what not to do; if this is so,
there is a common law also; if this is so, we are fellow citizens; if this
is so, we are members of some political community; if this is so, the world
is in a manner of a state. For of what other common political community
will any one say that the whole human race are members? And from thence,
from this common political community comes also our very intellectual
faculty and reasoning faculty and our capacity for law; or whence do they
come? For as my earthly part is a portion given to me from certain earth,
and that which is watery from another element, and that which is hot and
fiery from some peculiar source (for nothing comes out of that which is
nothing, as nothing also returns to non-existence), so also the intellectual
part comes from some source."
The war connection continues. I also picked up at the library bookstore a
signet copy of "Nine Stories by the Author of The Catcher in the Rye." You,
of course, knew that Salinger, who served from 1942 until 1946, had written
a story called, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish." I do think you might have
mentioned this when I wrote about cooking bananas with fish. Further in the
volume I find that "Uncle Wiggly in Conneticut," features Ramona, a girl
with an imaginary friend who goes everywhere, baths included, with his
sword. Further fodder for my book.
Carry on.
David Ritchie
Portland, Oregon
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