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Like many of Salinger's short stories, both "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenter" and "Seymour: an Introduction" reflect the author's interest in Eastern philosophies. Though koans, or Zen riddles, are not explicitly discussed in either story, we can see the influence of this way of thinking throughout the book. In other words, understanding truth is emphasized as a spiritual or emotional process, rather than a cerebral or intellectual one. The difficulty of attempting to live an Eastern life in a Western world is also part of the subtext, and particularly relevant to the character of Seymour Glass. In Salinger's writing, Eastern and Western religions are perfectly compatible as discussion moves freely from Christ to the Buddha and back again.
Eastern philosophy is at the heart of both "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" and "Seymour: an Introduction."
Eastern philosophy is peripheral, and not central, to both "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" and "Seymour: an Introduction."