Search for a meaningful existence in J.D. Salinger's. The Catcher in the Rye

This thesis attempts to examine whether there is a possibility of meaningful existence in Salinger's most widely known and controversial novel The Catcher in the Rye. The novel itself, as almost all Salinger's works, focuses on the difficult process how an individual is trying to accept the world and be integrated into the society that surrounds him. The question whether the inevitable loss of innocence means the loss of the chance of sensible existence as well, has different answers in the author's different works. In my present observation my aim is to prove that although at the end of the story we see the main character recovering from a nervous breakdown, it does not necessarily mean that he has lost the last chance to find an authentic way of existence, on the contrary, recognizing the fact that the 'catcher in the rye' image is not adequate for life, will make it possible for him to find a realistic way of becoming an integrated member of the adult world.