J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, incorporates several nihilistic aspects. In the novel the principle character, Holden Caulfeild embarks on what is to become a four-day odessy through New York City. By observing the actions and the dialogue used by Holden, one can see that nihilism is a prevalent theme throughout the nove

In The Great Gatsby the main character Jay Gatsby is bent on erasing his past in order to win back the girl of his dreams. He is desperately chasing after a false dream and his failure to realize this ends up causing his demise. His failure to accept the fact that he can’t he cannot change the past causes him to deceive himself into thinking that he can attain the unattainable. He takes this obsession to the point that he declares to himself “ I’m going to fix everything just the way it was before”(Fitzgerald 117). Gatsby is so caught up in his disguise that he completely loses himself in the lie. When describing his past experiences he tells them with such conviction no one is aware of the falsehood in his story. He tells of his life saying “ I lived like a young rajah in all the capitals of Europe- Paris, Venice, Rome…” he creates his character so well that James Gatz actually believes himself to be Jay Gatsby. This scenario is another key illustration of nihilism. It is the human’s own capability of self-deception and failure to accept the reality of their lives that leads to the ultimate demise of the person.

All of the writers cited above whose works have been lauded as great classic masterpieces have shown nihilism, which is inevitably part of the human experience. In each of the novels and poems the author has exhibited some aspect of the nihilistic philosophy that most people can identify with. At some point or another in the course of one’s lifetime there is some incident that causes an ascertain sense of futility that cannot be avoided. Whether it is fiction, non-fiction, drama, romance nihilism must play it’s own role like love, fear, hate. It is it’s own sensibility.

“ The Hollow Men “ by T.S. Eliot depict a world without hope when he refers to it as “ the dead land” (Eliot line 39). It is like purgatory, a place where ambitions and dreams are shattered by reality. He sees the people “ As the hollow men the stuffed me “ (Eliot lines 17-18). The are like puppets that have no mind of their own and whose existence is feeble and full of despair. This is a prime example of a nihilistic society. In the L

Some topics in this essay:
Macbeth Macbeth, Pencey Prep, TS Eliot, Jay Gatsby, Alfred Prufrock, Due George, Friedrich Nietzsche, Due Lennie, , American Dream, eliot line, ts eliot, “ hollow, “ eliot, “ hollow “, fails realize, “ i’m, gatsby main, absurd drop, alfred prufrock, “ eliot line, main characters,