Ritual Cleansings: Authoritarian Rhetoric, Paternalism, and Illicit Persuasion in J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey

Although critics debate the quality of J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey , most agree on its aim: Despite the verbal abuse that Zooey has doled out, readers are meant to accept the authenticity of Zooey's closing oration and be left, like Franny, "smiling at the ceiling." Invoking the works of Robert Paxton and Theodor Adorno, I challenge this reading, drawing particular attention to Zooey's use of authoritarian rhetorical tactics. Not only do these techniques continue post-"transformation," Zooey, in fact, amplifies their use in the text's final section, leaning into the same themes of ideological purity, in-group elitism, and ends-justified paternalism present throughout. Read through the lens of authoritarian manipulation, the novel's conclusion is transformed from an authentic moment of self-reflection to something more sinister, namely, the culmination of rhetorical manipulation into the only successful conclusion authoritarian figures seek, the restriction of dissent and instantiation of authority over others.