Analysis
Written while Salinger resided in suburban Stamford, Connecticut, the story offers insights into upper-middle class American society in the post-WWII years. In that era, writes biographer Kenneth Slawenski, “unabashed Americanism and materialism were unquestioned values”. Despising his neighbors for esteeming conformity and phoniness, Salinger sought to expose “the false illusions of the suburban dream.”
Despite her escapism through alcohol, the cynical Eloise comes face-to-face with her own “phoniness”. She recognizes that both she and Ramona are seeking companions that don’t exist - Walt Glass and Jimmy Jimmerino - and is finally able to feel pity for her child’s suffering. Salinger shows the unreality of Eloise’s situation, which has left her bereft of her former sincerity and genuineness.
Read more about this topic: Uncle Wiggily In Connecticut
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