In class while discussing the story Teddy, some people
brought up that they didn’t particularly like how Teddy talked about his views.
The main complaint was that Teddy acted as if his world view, including things
like reincarnation, was the only correct way to look at life. Especially,
during his conversation with Nicholson, Teddy cuts him off while he is trying to talk. He seems to think that what he is saying is more important that
what the others around him have to say because he has had these spiritual realizations.
One of the main factors that should be taken into account
when looking at what Teddy is saying to Nicholson is that Teddy really is the
expert on what Nicholson is asking about. Although it may seem like Teddy is
being high strung, I think that in subjects other than philosophy he wouldn’t think
of himself as that great. Because Nicholson is asking about philosophical
questions, I think he should expect Teddy to answer him like he knows what he
is talking about. If you think of Teddy as being a teacher in the subject, I
don’t think you would really want a teacher that isn’t sure about what he is
talking about. Teddy is respected in the community so much that he conducts
interviews in Europe as well as releases tapes containing these interviews. If
Teddy didn’t know what he was talking about he would not be respected as much
as he is.
Another reason that Teddy can be viewed as high strung could
have to do with how you can’t prove the things he is saying. The fact the he is
talking about metaphysical things such as how you leave the body when you die
and then get reincarnated makes people really doubt what he is saying. The
story never mentions how much Teddy is respected in the overall scientific
community, and I don’t think he would be very well respected just because there is no
way to give his ideas any efficacy. The story does tell us that some major
players in the field of philosophy respect his opinion so much that they trust
him to provide them with accurate information about when and how they will die
which again shows how much the philosophy community respects him.
Teddy’s age also plays a large role in how we view him. The
fact that he is only ten years old somehow makes it seem off that he is able to
lecture on a subject that very few adults fail have any sort of grasp on. In
addition, it seems impossible for a four year old to have these complicated
hallucination that apparently mean a great deal and that very few people have.
Teddy says that when he was six he was able to see that God was all around him
in everything, and that his sister drinking milk was really just God flowing
into God. Most four and six year old children still base most of what they want off of their
instincts, so this makes Teddy even more incredible and impossible.
Teddy’s age also allows us to respect him more. Because he
is only ten years old it has to be viewed as extremely impressive that he is
able to grasp these complicated philosophical ideas. His age may impart some
sort of jealousy on the part of a lot of people, but he does seem very mature for
his age. Although he is able to tell people when they will die, he knows he
should keep it to himself because it would ruin the lives of the people he is
telling. His maturity also allows him to thread the needle in his parents’
complicated marriage as well as take care of his sister who, from what we get
in the story, his parents are neglecting.
Overall, Teddy can seem high strung, but I believe it to be
somewhat warranted because he is one of the most respected people in the field
of psychology in the story as well as being able to grasp all of the
complicated ideas that his position entails. Do you think that Teddy’s
character was warranted by his situation, or was he just another annoying kid?
I agree about Teddy being quite warranted by the story. Within the framework of the story, I had great respect for Teddy and his position and abilities. In that context, I was bothered that people would ignore this and be annoyed with Teddy for just knowing stuff. However, I think that when we address this piece as fiction written by Salinger, we must ask what Salinger meant in having a character who knows when he will die. I almost got the sense Salinger was making fun of the trend of society at that time to be fascinated by so-called eastern religions.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Teddy had reasons for being the way that he was. I personally didn't find Teddy to be high strung or annoying, maybe partly because I didn't really think of him as a ten year old in the story. He seemed so mature and had so much knowledge beyond his years that I didn't fully grasp the idea that he is actually the age of a 5th grader. In fact I thought that Nicholson was the one being disrespectful to Teddy in the story. Nicholson talked to Teddy because he wanted to learn more, yet I felt like he didn't want to admit that Teddy was more knowledgeable than him. He showed many hints of bitterness and even jealousy throughout their encounter and I didn't like him much. For me, the way Teddy was talking wasn't in a "looking down upon" manner. I felt like he was just in his own little world, trying to explain the things he sees and knows. That is how I felt personally, but I also do see the reasons why many people didn't like Teddy as well.
ReplyDeleteI think that the fact that Teddy was high strung was one of my favorite parts about him. The way he behaved was exactly how I would expect a 10 year old to be and as a result this trait made him a much more real character. Also if it wasn't for Teddy's character flaws, he would have been this perfect all-knowing human, and that would have been too absurd to be interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading, this wasn't the impression Teddy made on me either. However, once brought up in class, it's easy to recognize potentially arrogant of high-strung comments of his throughout the narrative. For me, the age difference is essential here. The fact that Nicholson, an adult, is having such a sophisticated conversation with such a young boy, and being repeatedly cut off, corrected, or contradicted, makes it easy to see how Teddy could come across as a bratty little kid. Placing myself in Nicholson's shoes, I too would have been somewhat frustrated with the interaction. Not solely because of Teddy's knowledge (being annoyed by a kid because of their prodigious abilities is silly), but rather because of the way he carries himself. I'd also take a look at myself, as Nicholson, and wonder why a child of such significantly younger age knows so much more than I do. I'd feel fairly inadequate if I were him.
ReplyDeleteI found Teddy to be an intriguing character actually. When I found out he was only 10 years old, I imagined him to be a cute young boy and everything he was saying just kind of made his personality more interesting. I find it funny when young children act like they are very knowledgeable and try to act smart. I wasn't annoyed by Teddy at all because I was a similar way when I was younger. I tried to act too smart and often came across as annoying. I think Teddy just wants attention and when Nicholson is listening to him, it just makes Teddy want to talk more and more. To me, it just seems like Teddy is showing off which is normal for children to do.
ReplyDeleteI'm very much in the pro-Teddy-as-likable camp, as your post seems to be supporting as well, but as to your concluding question, I'd have to say neither. Teddy's character isn't warranted by his situation, because the basis of his character seems to be that he can remember his past lives, and that he would fundamentally be the same person regardless of his situation. He's very well-respected by various academics and philosophers, but I feel his visits are what his parents would like him to do; he doesn't seem to desire much for attention. Teddy's worldview is more like he's rejecting his environment, his parental relationships, and even mortal ties, which I think he's one of the most honest characters in the entire collection along with maybe Seymour.
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