Zen in American Literature in the 1950s: A Comparison of Kerouac and Salinger in Their Interpretation of Zen
This paper explores the impact of Zen upon authors during Post-World War Two America. This paper takes the position that authors J.D. Salinger and Jack Kerouac used Zen as a means of helping their characters understand their life experiences. There are three chapters, one of which explores the rise of Zen in the post-War United States and why the Beat Generation adapted it.