Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut

Last updated

"Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut" is a short story by J. D. Salinger, which appears in his collection Nine Stories . [1] It was originally published in the March 20, 1948 issue of The New Yorker . [2]

Contents

The main character, Eloise, struggles to come to terms with the life she has created for herself with her husband Lew. Her true love is the late Walt, who died during his service in the army.

The story's title refers to an event recalled by Eloise in which she and Walt were running to catch a bus, and she sprained her ankle. Walt then said, referring to her ankle in good humor, "Poor Uncle Wiggily...".

The 1949 film My Foolish Heart , based on this story, [3] remains the only authorized adaptation of Salinger's writings into film. Except for a framing story, the picture bears little resemblance to the original.

Although Walt's surname and background are not discussed in the story, Salinger would later reveal that Walt is a member of the Glass family and brother of Seymour Glass, the protagonist of Salinger's previous story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish". Later works by Salinger would elaborate upon the character of Walt Glass from the perspectives of his siblings.

Plot summary

The story unfolds on a snowy day at the upscale Wengler home; all the characters who appear in the scene are female.

Eloise Wengler is a jaded suburban housewife in an unhappy marriage to Lew Wengler. Mary Jane is her former college roommate who works part-time as a secretary. She is divorced. Neither woman graduated from the college they attended together. Ramona is Eloise’s little daughter. Socially inept, withdrawn and bespectacled, she is accompanied everywhere by her imaginary friend, Jimmy Jimmereeno. Grace is the Wenglers' African-American maid.

Mary Jane visits Eloise at her home and they spend the afternoon reminiscing about their college years, chain-smoking, and drinking themselves into a stupor. Ramona returns home, and Mary Jane gushes over the girl. Eloise commands her daughter to divulge the particulars of Jimmy Jimmereeno to the guest, and Mary Jane declares the make-believe boy “marvelous.” Ramona retreats outdoors to play.

The women resume their drunken and desultory ramblings. Eloise relates the story of a young soldier, Walt Glass, with whom she fell in love when single. She still clings to Walt's memory (he was killed in a freak accident while serving in the Pacific), and expresses bitter regret that she married Lew. Eloise embarks on a tirade against men, and Lew in particular, who lacks, she feels, the traits most lovable in Walt – “humor” and “intelligence”. She relates an event in which she and Walt were running to catch a bus, and she sprained her ankle. Referring to her ankle in good humor, Walt had said, "Poor Uncle Wiggily…” In divulging the details of Walt’s death, Eloise breaks down, and Mary Jane attempts to comfort her.

Ramona reenters the room and having overheard her mother’s remarks, announces that Jimmy has been run over by a car and killed.

The women continue drinking until they fall asleep in the living room. After dark, Eloise is woken by a phone call from her husband Lew, and after a short, sarcastic exchange, hangs up on him.

Grace, the live-in maid, approaches Eloise and respectfully asks that her visiting spouse be allowed to stay the night due to the severe weather. Eloise curtly rebuffs her employee and denies the request.

The drunken Eloise goes upstairs to Ramona’s bedroom where the child is sleeping. Turning on the light, she sees the girl lying at the extreme edge of the bed, a habit of hers to make space for her imaginary friend. Eloise wakes her up and reminds her that Jimmy has been killed, but Ramona tries to avoid a confrontation by inventing a new friend named "Mickey Mickeranno." Flying into a rage, the exasperated Eloise takes hold of Ramona and drags her to the middle of the bed, and orders her to go to sleep in that position.

After switching off the light and standing long in the doorway Eloise holds Ramona's glasses against her cheek, cries and repeats the words “Poor Uncle Wiggily” again and again. Sobbing, she tucks in the frightened and crying girl and leaves the room. Downstairs, she awakens Mary Jane from her alcohol-induced slumber, and weeping, beseeches her dismayed friend to reassure her that as a freshman in college, she had been “a nice girl”.

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”. [4] Despising his neighbors for esteeming conformity and phoniness, [5] Salinger sought to expose “the false illusions of the suburban dream.” [6]

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 Jimmereeno [5] - 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. [6]

1949 film adaptation

Shortly after The New Yorker published "Uncle Wiggily" in March 1948, [7] Salinger sold the movie rights to Samuel Goldwyn. The sale promised to advance Salinger’s career, and was financially lucrative. [8]

With its dialog-driven plot, "Uncle Wiggily" was more appropriate for a stage adaptation, and the story would require a major rewrite by the movie studio to achieve a film version. [8] Salinger had relinquished all control over the screenplay, which was written by Julius and Philip Epstein. [9]

In the process of making a Hollywood film version, the story was transformed from “an exposé of the suburban society” [10] into a sentimental love story with a happy ending. [11]

Salinger was profoundly dissatisfied by the results, and to his dismay, My Foolish Heart received two Academy Award nominations (Best Actress and Best Theme Song), and did well at the box office. [11] As a result, the author refused to allow any mainstream film studio the rights to adapt his works to the screen.

Related Research Articles

<i>Mary Poppins</i> (film) 1964 American musical fantasy film

Mary Poppins is a 1964 American musical fantasy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney, with songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers. The screenplay is by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, based on P. L. Travers's book series Mary Poppins. The film, which combines live-action and animation, stars Julie Andrews in her feature film debut as Mary Poppins, who visits a dysfunctional family in London and employs her unique brand of lifestyle to improve the family's dynamic. Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and Glynis Johns are featured in supporting roles. The film was shot entirely at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, using painted London background scenes.

<i>My Foolish Heart</i> (1949 film) 1949 film by Mark Robson

My Foolish Heart is a 1949 American romantic drama film directed by Mark Robson, starring Dana Andrews and Susan Hayward. It relates the story of a woman's reflections on the bad turns her life has taken.

<i>The Catcher in the Rye</i> 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye is an American novel by J. D. Salinger that was partially published in serial form 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951. Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents for its themes of angst and alienation, and as a critique of superficiality in society. The novel also deals with complex issues of innocence, identity, belonging, loss, connection, sex, and depression. The main character, Holden Caulfield, has become an icon for teenage rebellion. Caulfield, nearly of age, gives his opinion on a wide variety of topics as he narrates his recent life events.

"A Perfect Day for Bananafish" is a short story by J. D. Salinger, originally published in the January 31, 1948, issue of The New Yorker. It was anthologized in 1949's 55 Short Stories from the New Yorker, as well as in Salinger's 1953 collection Nine Stories. The story is an enigmatic examination of a young married couple, Muriel and Seymour Glass, on vacation in Florida. It is the first of his stories to feature a member of the fictional Glass family.

<i>Franny and Zooey</i> 1961 novel by J. D. Salinger

Franny and Zooey is a book by American author J. D. Salinger which comprises his short story "Franny" and novella Zooey. The two works were published together as a book in 1961, having originally appeared in The New Yorker in 1955 and 1957 respectively. The book focuses on siblings Franny and Zooey, the two youngest members of the Glass family, which was a frequent focus of Salinger's writings.

Uncle Wiggily Longears is the main character of a series of children's stories by American author Howard R. Garis. He began writing the stories for the Newark News in 1910. Garis penned an Uncle Wiggily story every day for more than 52 years, and published 79 books in his lifetime. According to his obituary in the Chicago Tribune, a walk in the woods in Verona, New Jersey was his inspiration. The books featured work by several illustrators, notably Lansing Campbell. Other illustrators of the series included George L. Carlson, Louis Wisa, Elmer Rache, Edward Bloomfield, Lang Campbell, and Mary and Wallace Stover.

The Glass family is a fictional family appearing in several of J. D. Salinger's short fictions. All but one of the Glass family stories were first published in The New Yorker. They appear in the short story collections Nine Stories, Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction and Franny and Zooey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">For Esmé—with Love and Squalor</span> Short story by J. D. Salinger

"For Esmé—with Love and Squalor" is a short story by J. D. Salinger. It recounts a sergeant's meeting with a young girl before being sent into combat in World War II. Originally published in The New Yorker on April 8, 1950, it was anthologized in Salinger's Nine Stories two years later.

<i>Eloise</i> (books) American childrens book series by Kay Thompson

Eloise is a series of children's books written in the 1950s by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight. The series consists of Eloise (1955) and four sequels.

"The Laughing Man" is a short story by J. D. Salinger, published originally in The New Yorker on March 19, 1949; and also in Salinger's short story collection Nine Stories. It largely takes the structure of a story within a story and is thematically occupied with the relationship between narrative and narrator, and the end of youth. The story is inspired by the 1869 Victor Hugo novel of the same name: The Man Who Laughs.

<i>Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction</i> Book by J.D. Salinger

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction is a single volume featuring two novellas by J. D. Salinger, which were previously published in The New Yorker: Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters (1955) and Seymour: An Introduction (1959). Little, Brown republished them in this anthology in 1963. It was the first time the novellas had appeared in book form. The book was the third best-selling novel in the United States in 1963, according to Publishers Weekly.

"Just Before the War with the Eskimos" is a short story by J. D. Salinger, originally published in the June 5, 1948 issue of The New Yorker. It was anthologized in Salinger's 1953 collection Nine Stories, and reprinted for Bantam in Manhattan: Stories from the Heart of a Great City in 1954. It is a tale of adolescent alienation and redemption in a post-World War II setting. It focuses primarily on fifteen-year-old Ginnie Mannox's meeting with her classmate Selena Graff's older brother, Franklin.

"De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period" is a short story by J. D. Salinger, first published in the May 1952 edition of World Review (London). Declined by The New Yorker on November 14, 1951, the piece was judged too short to contain the complex religious concepts that Salinger attempted to present. It is the only work he is known to have produced in 1951 after struggling with it for over five months.

"Down at the Dinghy" is a short story by J. D. Salinger, originally published in Harper's in April 1949, and included in the compilation, Nine Stories.

<i>Ramona and Her Mother</i> 1978 novel by Beverly Cleary

Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary is the fifth book of the popular Ramona series. Mr. Quimby has found another job, though it is one he does not like very much. Ramona finds herself caught between being too young to stay home alone and too old to enjoy playing with pesky Willa Jean. She is trying to grow up, but sometimes it seems like her family is making it harder. Ramona and Her Mother won the 1981 National Book Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. D. Salinger</span> American writer (1919–2010)

Jerome David Salinger was an American author best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye. Salinger published several short stories in Story magazine in 1940, before serving in World War II. In 1948, his critically acclaimed story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" appeared in The New Yorker, which published much of his later work.

Mrs. Hincher is an unpublished short story by J. D. Salinger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eloise Harriet Stannard</span> British painter

Eloise Harriet Stannard (1829–1915) was a British 19th century painter known for her still life work. She was one of only two notable women artists associated with the Norwich School of painters, Britain's first provincial art movement.

Jane Werner Watson, born Elsa Jane Werner was an American children's author. She also wrote under the names Elsa Jane Werner Watson, Jane Werner, Annie North Bedford, Monica Hill, Elsa Ruth Nast, W. K. Jasner, and A. N. Bedford.

References

  1. ↑ Salinger, J. D. Nine stories. Little, Brown & Company. 1989
  2. ↑ Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut at newyorker.com
  3. ↑ "Salinger's Allusions to My Foolish Heart—the Salinger Movie." ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews. Vol. 20:2. Spring 2007. pp. 39-43.
  4. ↑ Slawenski, 2010, p. 168
  5. 1 2 Slawenski, 2010, p. 169
  6. 1 2 Slawenski, 2010, p. 170
  7. ↑ Slawenski, 2010, p. 171
  8. 1 2 Slawenski, 2010, p. 182
  9. ↑ Slawenski, 2010, p. 182-183
  10. ↑ Slawenski, 2010, p. 183
  11. 1 2 Slawenski, 2010, p. 184

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.