By Salinger using two different philosophers in his story Teddy, he can convey two different views of two different thinking generations. The first part of Teddy and Nicholson' s conversation is that of emotions. While Teddy says "I wish I knew why people think it's so important to

be emotional (186)" and goes on to say how he's parents think "don't think a person's human unless he thinks a lot of things are very sad or very annoying... he (Teddy's father) thinks I'm inhuman (186)." Nicholson replies with "I take it you have no emotions (186).", and Teddy counter backs with "If I do, I don't remember when I saw I ever used them...I don't see what they're good for (186)." This tells the reader that already Teddy does think like an everyday 10-year-old boy of that era. This story takes place after WWII; America at that time was still highly emotional from the war and this boy is telling this adult that emotions really don't serve a purpose because they are not reliable enough to believe in. When Teddy says later on he does not love God "sentimentally" it is only because it is reliable because unless you truly do love something or someone one should mean it and not just say they do and depend on someone who "loves them" because it is the weakest part a person can offer someone else. When it comes to family, Teddy points out how only he's parents can truly love him only when they c

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Approximate Word count = 748
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)