J. D. Salinger_ A Life - Kenneth Slawenski [19]
Almost in imitation of the story’s military characters, or perhaps in emulation of Scott Fitzgerald, who had joined the service twenty-three years before, Salinger, upon completing “The Hang of It,” attempted to enlist in the army and fulfill a desire that he had expressed in the summer of 1940. He saw himself, somewhat naively, writing his novel as a soldier.
Since Salinger had never displayed any overt patriotism in the past, this desire may appear baffling. One can only speculate that he found it increasingly difficult to write while still living with his parents. In light of his age and ambitions, his position was certainly not a good one: “The Young Folks” had earned $25, and even if Salinger managed to sell a story every month, he clearly could not afford to strike out on his own.
Considering his relationship with his mother, who was unwilling to let go of her son, it is unlikely that the Salingers would have set him up with an apartment, even had he asked. It was perhaps this motivation, more than any feelings regarding the war in Europe, which led to his desire to join the military. Amazing in hindsight was his notion that army life would afford him the leisure time necessary to construct a novel.
Much to his shock, when Salinger arrived at the army enlistment center, he was turned down. His recruitment physical revealed a mild heart irregularity of which he had been unaware.19 At that time, the U.S. military sorted potential recruits by categorizing them between 1-A and 4-F, from totally fit to completely unqualified to serve. Salinger’s heart condition resulted in his classification as 1-B—not a serious health threat but enough to prohibit his recruitment. Salinger was bitter at the verdict. In 1948, he would vividly recall that hurt through the character of Franklin in “Just Before the War with the Eskimos” as well as through numerous characters who would suffer the consequences of “some kind of heart trouble.”20
Although the army had turned away the author, it eagerly accepted his story. In both 1942 and 1943, “The Hang of It” was included in The Kit Book for Soldiers, Sailors and Marines, a story and cartoon collection intended to accompany servicemen into the field. Consequently, “The Hang of It” was Salinger’s first appearance in book form and was carried into battle by countless soldiers.
• • •
Before appearing in The Kit Book, “The Hang of It” was published in Collier’s, where it was given a full-page illustrated spread on July 12. On one level, Salinger recognized it as an embarrassment and advised friends to avoid the story. On another, however—that of ambition and professional advancement—he accepted his Collier’s debut as a triumph. In the days before television, when reading was the prime source of light entertainment, Collier’s was one of a handful of America’s most popular magazines that afforded its contributors immediate exposure on a national scale. And it paid well. So, though Salinger was dissatisfied with the story’s lack of serious content, he was thrilled by the rewards of its commercial value. Besides, he rationalized, once he had established himself with the more popular venues, they would come round to accepting his more incisive and riskier works.21
The summer of 1941 produced the perfect scenario for Salinger to exploit this newfound recognition when he left for vacation with his old Valley Forge friend William Faison, the younger brother of Elizabeth Murray. Together, they spent the summer at Murray’s home in the wealthy New Jersey shore town of Brielle. Murray, whom Salinger had nicknamed his “Golden Girl,” was proud of his recent success and anxious to show him off to her friends, a social circle that included the parents of the most elite of the debutante set. In