Salingers Sick Men:

How Masculine Failure Creates Madness and Genius in the works of J.D. Salinger

Madness and genius are two mental afflictions thought to walk hand-in-hand in the
human psyche. History provides countless examples of geniuses that made critical
contributions to their fields while suffering from apparent mental illnesses. The trope of
the tortured genius has become so ingrained in our culture that in modern times, it has
even become the subject of scientific analysis, with studies finding correlation between
intelligent and/or creative minds and schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. The
works of writer J.D. Salinger, albeit limited, provide an excellent framework to examine
this association as it relates to men and masculinity.
In his last published novel, Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour
an Introduction, Salinger coins the term variously notorious Sick Men to describe the
men he turns to when he wants credible information about the artistic process. These
men are: Franz Kafka, Sren Kierkegaard, Vincent van Gogh, and the fictional Seymour
Glass. Although not stated, it is clear that the Sickness of which Salinger speaks is not
physical. Salinger refers to these men as under-adjusted bachelors, reinforcing their
inability to conform to societys expectation they be involved with women and hinting
that their Sickness is linked to their masculinity, or lack thereof. Here, Salinger is also
playing on the popular opinions about these men, rather than what may have been their
true lived experiences. Society tends to view these men in particular as having a large
amount of talent, and a large amount of angst, a word Kierkegaard himself coined.
In order to analyze how all three of these men failed to adhere to the standards of
masculinity, it is important to first define masculinity in post World War II American

culture. Masculinity, being a social construct rather than a universal constant, is

constantly in flux. Michael Kimmel, a leader in the field of gender studies describes
summarized this concept best when he wrote:
Manhood is neither static nor timeless. Manhood is not the manifestation of an
inner essence; its socially constructed. Manhood does not bubble up to consciousness
from our biological constitution; it is created in our culture. In fact, the search for a
transcendent, timeless definition of manhood is itself a sociological phenomenonwe
tend to search for the timeless and eternal during moments of crisis, those points of
transition when the old definitions no longer work and the new definitions are yet to be
firmly established. (3)
Post World War II America was one such moment of crisis both for American
culture and Masculinity. In this period, America was controlled by politics of fear. The
threats of communism and nuclear annihilation were on the forefront of all Americans
minds, and the sacrifices Americans made to stay safe are clear when examining
American culture between 1946 and 1964. Americans became increasingly nationalistic
and, as Kimmel states, ideas of normality were enforced with a desperate passion. In a
time of uncertainty, Americans looked for protection and stability. Models of masculinity
that arose during this period reflect these needs. The 50s man had to adhere to an
extremely tight set of physical and social characteristics to be considered masculine. At
the same time society had greater expectations for men to conform to the norm,
Americans also looked for this normal man to be more protective. A Macho standard
of masculinity reigned supreme.

References:
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/are-genius-and-madnessrelated-contemporary-answers-ancient-question