‘Just Before The War With The Eskimos’ by J.D. Salinger

Just Before The War With The Eskimos by J.D. Salinger, 1948

The magic trick:

Original characters

This story introduces us – well, specifically, it’s the young protagonist Ginnie Mattox meeting everyone – to an interesting cast of interesting characters. They aren’t quite fitting in with the standard expectations foisted on young men after the war, but their social discomfort isn’t cliché either. They are originals.

And that’s quite a trick on Salinger’s part.

The selection:

Selena’s brother nodded. Then he took a last, long look at his injured finger, as if to see whether it was in condition to make the trip back to his room.

“Why don’t you put a Band-Aid on it? Don’t you have any Band-Aid or anything?”

“Naa,” he said. “Well. Take it easy.” He wandered out of the room.

In a few seconds, he was back, bringing the sandwich half.

“Eat this,” he said. “It’s good.”

“Really, I’m not at all–”

“Take it, for Chrissake. I didn’t poison it or anything.”

Ginnie took the sandwich half. “Well, thank you very much,” she said.

“It’s chicken,” he said, standing over her, watching her. “Bought it last night in a goddam delicatessen.”

“It looks very good.”

“Well, eat it, then.”

Ginnie took a bite.

“Good, huh?”