A Perfect Day for Bananafish Isolation Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Section.Paragraph). Though the story has no explicit divisions, we created "sections" to make the paragraph numbers more manageable. Section one is the scene in the hotel room. Section two is the scene on the beach to the end of the story.

Quote #4

"The lady?" the young man brushed some sand out of his thin hair. "That's hard to say, Sybil. She may be in any one of a thousand places. At the hairdresser's. Having her hair dyed mink. Or making dolls for poor children, in her room." (2.20)

This passage reminds us that Seymour and Muriel are never actually together at any point in this story – until Seymour's death at the end.

Quote #5

Lying prone now, he made two fists, set one on top of the other, and rested his chin on the top one. "Ask me something else, Sybil," he said. (2.20)

Seymour is desperate to make a connection with Sybil. His interactions with her constitute the only real relationship he has in this story.