Salinger made use of numerous prominent themes in all of his short stories

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Alyssa Masteller

September 26, 2004

English 450

Mr. DeFabio

The Aspect of Innocence

Salinger made use of numerous prominent themes in all of his short stories, but I think the most important concern that needs to be examined is his use of the innocence of children.  He made it a central idea in most of his stories, and without it, the stories would not be complete.  Many of the short stories he wrote revolve around innocence, and recognizing this idea is crucial for the complete understanding and appreciating of Salinger’s literature.   The theme of innocence is most blaringly obvious and essential in the stories “For Esme with Love and Squalor” and “Down at the Dingy.”

Forced prematurely into the world of adulthood, Esme is trying to cope with the death of her father in the short story “For Esme with Love and Squalor.”  Esme’s father was killed in the war, and since then, Esme has been a primary influence in the upbringing of her younger brother Charles.  Charles is just an innocent young child, as Esme was before she came to realization with horrific consequences of war.  Charles is too young to understand the way in which his father died, so Esme makes it her priority to preserve his innocence and protect him from the harsh reality.  

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One rainy day after choir practice, Esme, her brother Charles, and her Nanny went out for some tea.   Esme is a very outgoing girl, and when she spotted a man whom she recognized that had made an appearance at her rehearsal earlier, she walked over to his table and pulled up a chair.  Maybe it was because she felt a special connection to the man wearing the army uniform, or maybe it was a glimmer of her innocence shining through, she struck up a conversation.  The man was a bit taken aback at her boldness, but soon he became ...

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