... 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 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 novel. In the early chapters we find out that Holden has ... ...

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

... his life based on a series of lies. Nonetheless, Jay Gatsby is passionate and optimistic, which is something the reader can relate to. Another example is Holden Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Holden is a cynical and apathetic teenager; a product of the 1930s. He lacks heroic attributes such as honesty, and he even refers to himself as weak. He claims to despise anything " ... phony", yet it is ironic because he spends the whole novel fighting against ... society for reasons he cannot explain and being spiteful to the people around ... ...

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