De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period

American author J.D. Salinger (most famous for the often-banned The Catcher in the Rye) first published "De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period" in his 1953 short story collection Nine Stories (1953). All of the other stories had been previously published – "Down at the Dinghy" in Harper's Magazine, and the other seven stories in The New Yorker. "Blue Period" has the distinction of being the only Salinger story ever rejected by The New Yorker. We can't imagine why. It's a mini-masterpiece: a beautiful and exciting work with no shortage of laughs, and maybe tears, too, if you think about the sad parts long enough.

Both tragic and comic throughout, "Blue Period" is the story of a nineteen-year-old's adventure as an art teacher with a fake identity. He's in a "blue period" because his mother has just died and he's now struggling to learn how to live without her. The main story is set in 1939, part of a "blue period" for the world, World War II. It's (presumably) a particularly sad time for Pablo Picasso (the real owner of the term "Blue Period") as well. Picasso's mother passed away in that year.

As astute critic John Russell points out Jean de Daumier-Smith and J.D. Salinger share the same initials. The narrator of the story is anonymous, and quite possibly a recluse, just like J.D. Salinger. As you might have heard, Salinger is notorious for being an extremely private person. Be sure to check out "Best of the Web" for more links and Shmoop's biography of Salinger for more on his life.

Have you ever wanted to put on new identity and disappear from your life for a little while so you could figure things out? If you answer "yes" you'll probably like J.D. Salinger's "De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period." If you've ever felt conflicted about religion or spirituality, you have plenty in common with Jean. If you've ever felt alone, isolated and disconnected from others, you'll be able to identify with this story. The fact that every serious moment is undermined with silly jokes and goofy puns helps remind us that it's OK to laugh, even if we feel sad. Even though the narrator doesn't think the story makes sense, it does give us a feeling if satisfaction and hopefulness at the end.