According to the Hero’s Journey packet, the final step in the transformation process is a moment of death and rebirth: a part of us dies so that a new part can be born. In Franny’s case, ignorance must die for the birth of enlightenment. After Zooey and Franny’s discussion ends, Zooey goes to Seymour and Buddy’s room. Buddy is another one of their older brothers. After some thinking, he uses the phone in their room to call Franny in the other room pretending to be Buddy so she would agree to talk to him. Soon enough though, Franny realizes who is on the other end of the phone, and Zooey drags into one final discussion. It is in this discussion where a part of Franny “dies.” Zooey tells her that she has no right to judge others or to criticize ego because she should have respect for everyone. She can only hate what people represent, but not the people themselves.
Years ago, Zooey was to appear on a radio show, and Seymour told him to shine his shoes in respect for the studio audience. Zooey refused, insisting that the audience was stupid and didn’t deserve anything of him. Seymour told him to do it for the ‘Fat Lady’. On a separate occasion, Seymour told the same thing to Franny. An image was created in both their minds of a fat woman with cancer rocking herself in a whicker chair on her front porch with the stereo on loud with flies all around. This woman represented everyone, even the ugly, stupid, or egotistical. What’s more, she represented Jesus Christ himself, who teaches us that everyone should be treated equally with the same amount of respect because this is something that all humans deserve. This Revelation is what truly makes Franny a different person.
