In the novel Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk remarks: “The things you own end up owning you. Only after losing everything are you free to do anything. Jerome David Salinger expanded on this idea when he wrote the short story “A Perfect Day for Banana Fish.” The literary genius was born on January 1, 1919 in New York. He was educated in the public schools on the West Side of Manhattan and, after moving, at the McBurney School where he wrote for the school newspaper and was director of the fencing team. In 1941, Salinger began submitting articles for The New Yorker magazine, but was soon drafted into the army in 1942. During this time, he encountered a great influence on his writing, Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway praised Salinger's writings and noted his talent during their correspondence. After a few years of fighting in the war, J.D. Salinger was assigned to the Counterintelligence Division due to his fluency in German and French, where he was sent to interrogate prisoners of war. Following his service in counterintelligence, Salinger submitted a short story titled "Bananafish" to the New Yorker in 1947. Another of his highly acclaimed literary works is The Catcher in The Rye, which was published in 1951. ( Charles McGrath) "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" revolves around the main character, Seymour Glass and his wife as they vacation in Florida just after World War II in 1948. It is soon revealed that Seymour Glass is suspected of suffering from mental illness after returning from the war. leaving his wife, Muriel, and everyone around him in danger. A materialistic wife with little concern for Seymour's mental health, Muriel displays a considerable lack of concern for the people around her. The reader is left extra...... middle of paper ......eb. February 6, 2014. books/29salinger.html>. Morán, Daniel. “Critical essay on “A Perfect Day for Banana Fish”.” Short stories for students. Ed. David A. Galens. Flight. 17. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Information Resource Center. Internet. January 21, 2014. Salinger, Jérôme David. “A perfect day for banana fish.” 1948. Nine stories. New York: The New Yorker, 1948. 3-9. The New Yorker. Internet. January 23, 2014.?i=1948-01-31#folio=021>.Shuman, R. Baird. “A perfect day for banana fish.” Masterplots II: Short story series, revised edition (2004): 1-3. Literary reference center. Internet. January 21, 2014. Wagner-Martin, Linda. “A Perfect Day for Banana Fish: Overview.” Reference guide to short fiction.Ed. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Literary Resource Center. Internet. January 21.2014.