Talk:The Laughing Man (short story)

I've created this article, but I have to admit I'm not entirely happy with it. In particular, I don't know how far to go with the summary. My primary motivation in making this article was to provide a sort of Cliff's Notes for people who had heard the story referenced in some other text (like the anime series) and wanted to quickly know what it was about. If I summarize too much the article becomes wordy and derivative, but not enough and it's simply unclear and fails in its purpose. So I'm really not sure where I fell here.

The analysis, in the same vein, is mostly there just to give passerby a sense of what the story is supposed to be about and why it's important. Wikipedia is not a venue for literary analysis, and I don't want to go on too much about it, but at the same time I think it's worthwhile for someone clicking over here from the disambig to at least know why the story gets cited a lot. I'd be okay with seeing the analysis cut down or even tossed, if that seems better.

The full text of TLM is available on the web (a quick Google will find it for you) but I'm not sure about the ethics of adding an external link to such a clear copyright violation. Out of deference to Mr. Salinger I decided not to add that link to this article myself. Collabi 11:27, 9 August 2005 (UTC)

Your interpretation is excellent, albeit (in my opinion) idiosyncratic.

I've read numerous critical works on Salinger, including of his short fiction. Analyses of Franny and Zooey are the only places I've ever encountered the notion of Salinger's work having hidden allusions to a pregnancy. Hidden because--at the time of their publication, when children being conceived out-of-wedlock was a more-delicate subject than it is today--revealing such a fact would overwhelm all other elements of plot and characterization.

I believe, however, that Franny is having neither morning sickness, nor a "nervous breakdown," but a spiritual crisis. (Despite Lane's tactless euphemisms for being impatient to have sex with Franny again.)

In this case, also, I feel the evidence is lacking. I interpret the death of the Laughing Man as a manifestation of the Chief's grief upon learning Mary Hudson has broken off their relationship.

The remarkable thing, perhaps, is that they stayed together as long as they did. One obstacle to compatibility: they are not in the same social class. We can easily imagine the Chief has--and needs--a scholarship to get himself through law school. He could use a few extra bucks, and thus found himself in the situation of babysitting the Comanches. (However, he is well-suited to the responsibility, and enjoys his role as mentor.)

Mary's wardrobe reveals she comes from a family more likely to make it into the Social Register. She is a young woman who could find nearly any boyfriend she chooses, and not merely because she is beautiful. John (the Chief) is homely, less affluent than Mary and her family, and in other ways less than an impressive "catch".

Stung by his loss, the young Mr. Gesudski commits a kind of suicide-by-proxy. By killing off the Laughing Man (who--careful reading reveals--is in many ways similar to his creator), he also "murders" the pleasant, wondrous daydreams of a busful of children.

For the Comanches, the Laughing Man is real. The narrator's musings on how the stories are "portable" suggests the character of the Laughing Man held a prominent place his imagination, as a boy. Even while sitting in the tub at home...long after his outings with his agemates and the Chief.

Nevertheless, I regard the story as bittersweet, not bitter. The air of nostalgia helps Salinger maintain a light tone. drone5 22:30, 19 November 2005 (UTC)

I think Drone's got the right idea. I didn't see Mary getting pregnant either, but the article seems to refer to it. I'm also not entirely sure the content of this article (that is, literary analysis) is befitting of a Wikipedia entry, but I like it and don't care to change it. Dabizi 03:23, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

—— The article describes The Chief as very handsome. This is false. The story is quite clear in describing the Chief as lacking in physical attractiveness. A "stocky five three," "hair-line extremely low," "nose was large and fleshy," shoulders "narrow and sloping." He only appears beautiful to the narrator who looks up to him. By describing the Chief as handsome, the point is obscured that the Laughing Man who must wear a mask to conceal his own ugliness is fashioned after The Chief in his own mind. The Chief's awkwardness and his heartbreak then make more sense, as his relationship with Mary is one in which one partner is significantly less attractive than the other, and this leads to much anxiety and overvaluation of the other by the less attractive one. While this isn't the whole point of the story, it is an important one not to miss.

really just a bad paragraph.
currently, the third paragraph under literary significance and criticism seems very poorly written. all the sentences seem very awkward, particularly "Notice how all the boys were certain they were direct descendants of the laughing man. Holding on to every last word that they were told of him." i don't think they really belong in an encyclopedia. i don't know how to fix that but if someone does, that would be pretty cool! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.74.35.194 (talk) 20:30, 13 July 2008 (UTC)

"Literary significance and criticism" is actually "Analysis and Opinion."
There's very little to be said about the significance of the story outside of other works that reference it. On top of that, there is no criticism cited. Instead, the reader is treated to an analysis that reads like the final paragraph of a hurried English 100 essay.

Please, please, don't state opinion as fact.

"Others view the laughing man as an idea, rather than a person. The story of the laughing man told of a criminal that was viewed as a hero, not some vigilante as most are used to hearing about. It's Salinger's thinking that it's ideas, not people, that change the world. People create ideas, but just by killing the person who created the idea, doesn't mean that you've killed the idea. Notice how all the boys were certain they were direct descendants of the laughing man. Holding on to every last word that they were told of him. They were holding onto an idea. Ideas change the world. Ideas can't die, this is reason that the laughing man was shot 4 times, 2 through the heart, and still lived. He was an idea, someone that the common people, the poor, and the refugees looked up to (all of the animals in the story). Though the laughing man did end up dying in the end of the story, notice how it was the laughing man's choice to die. He could have kept living had he chosen to, but he could see how his actions hurt those that were close to him, and for thus he gave up his life."

This is a subjective analysis. Unless there's an article somewhere, an interview with Salinger, that directly addresses the ambiguous points of his work, this is nothing but speculation. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.53.188.25 (talk) 12:14, 24 September 2008 (UTC)

carrage ending
I thought the end when Mary Hudson had the sad conversation was that she possibly miscarried. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.193.228.246 (talk) 07:56, 13 December 2008 (UTC)

Cultural references
--Sushitrap (talk) 00:39, 20 August 2009 (UTC)The section which talks about the refference in the anime series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex seems completely wrong. I haven't watched thru this series in several years, but I recall the laughing man's relationship to the autistic children to be completely different than what's stated, and also I have no recollection of him being reffered to as the chief. The only chief in the series is Arimaki, which is a completely different person.
 * There was no relationship to the children, but a reference, in Episode 11. The 'Chief' referred to is not Aramaki.  Aoi, The child in the wheelchair turned into 'Chief', or what they referred to as 'him making an appearance' to tell ongoing stories.  Also, there were further references in Episode 20, so the cultural reference is correct.  I also modified the link to reference the series 1 and not the film.  See List of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex episodes. Nostep (talk) 04:55, 13 May 2019 (UTC)