Eloise commands her daughter to divulge the particulars of Jimmy Jimmereeno to the guest, and Mary Jane declares the make-believe boy “marvelous.” Ramona retreats outdoors to play.
She still clings to Walt's memory (he was killed in a freak accident while serving in the Pacific), and expresses bitter regret that she married Lew.
Grace, the live-in maid, approaches Eloise and respectfully asks that her visiting spouse be allowed to stay the night due to the severe weather.
Turning on the light, she sees the girl lying at the extreme edge of the bed, a habit of hers to make space for her imaginary friend.
After switching off the light and standing long in the doorway Eloise holds Ramona's glasses against her cheek, cries and repeats the words “Poor Uncle Wiggily” again and again.
Downstairs, she awakens Mary Jane from her alcohol-induced slumber, and weeping, beseeches her dismayed friend to reassure her that as a freshman in college, she had been “a nice girl”.
Written while Salinger resided in suburban Stamford, Connecticut, the story offers insights into upper-middle class American society in the post-WWII years.
She recognizes that both she and Ramona are seeking companions that don’t exist - Walt Glass and Jimmy Jimmereeno [5] - and is finally able to feel pity for her child’s suffering.
[8] With its dialog-driven plot, "Uncle Wiggily" was more appropriate for a stage adaptation, and the story would require a major rewrite by the movie studio to achieve a film version.
[11] Salinger was profoundly dissatisfied by the results, and to his dismay, My Foolish Heart received two Academy Award nominations--Best Actress Susan Hayward and Best Music (Song)--and did well at the box office.