Nihilism and Existential Angst in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye

Abstract

Against the backdrop of post-war society, The Catcher in the Rye expresses the mood of the era that was the cause for the rise of existentialism and reflects the American society and the anxiety faced by the people in those times. It is a deep representation of teenage life and the psychological distress felt by them due to fitting in and fulfilling their expectations. Thus, the objective of the paper is to trace the plot of the novel and mark out elements of nihilism found in the protagonist, leading toward the interpretation of the end into a healthy approach to life or an existential continuation on the part of the protagonist. These interpretations will be based on theories of existentialism and the comments of critics on the novel.