... carry issues with them that create a character that is far from perfect. This potential for emotional growth and adaptation combined with the reader's relatability to such characters allows anti-heroes to become increasingly popular in fictional works of literature. In the early 20th century, as Americans faced the decision between maintaining traditional views vs. progressing into a modern world, anti-heroism began to rise once again. During ... rich, and builds his life based on a series of lies. Nonetheless, Jay Gatsby is passionate and optimistic, which is something the reader can r...

• Word Count: 1474
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... have been destroyed by either the cruelty of the world around them or their own inability to realize the falseness of the dream which they hoped to attain. In the poems of T.S. Eliot he describes a world in which all hopes and ambitions are lost. He paints a picture that shows this life as a wasteland for the soul. J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, incorporates several nihilistic aspects. In the novel the principle character, Holden Caulfeild ... idealizing gets you nowhere, It is futile to even attempt it so why waste the time. This is another nihilistic concept. It also has a co...

• Word Count: 1461
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School