Beat-Generation

TheBeatGenerationwasagroupofAmericanpost-WorldWarIIwriterswhocametoprominenceinthe1950s,aswellastheculturalphenomenathattheybothdocumentedandinspired.CentralelementsofBeatcultureincludedrejectionofreceivedstandards,innovationsinstyle,experimentationwithdrugs,alternativesexualities,aninterestinEasternreligion,arejectionofmaterialism,andexplicitportrayalsofthehumancondition.OriginofnameJackKerouacintroducedthephraseBeatGenerationin1948tocharacterizeaperceivedunderground,anti-conformistyouthmovementinNewYork.TheadjectivebeatcouldcolloquiallymeantiredorbeatendownwithintheAfrican-Americancommunityoftheperiodandhaddevelopedoutoftheimagebeattohissocks,butKerouacappropriatedtheimageandalteredthemeaningtoincludetheconnotationsupbeat,beatific,andthemusicalassociationofbeingonthebeat.DruguseTheoriginalmembersoftheBeatGenerationusedanumberofdifferentdrugs,includingalcohol（酒精）,marijuana（大麻）,benzedrine（苯丙胺苏醒剂）,morphine（吗啡）,andlaterpsychedelicdrugs（迷幻剂）includingpeyote,yage,andLSD.Muchofthisusagewas“experimental,”inthattheywereofteninitiallyunfamiliarwiththeeffectsofthesedrugs.Theywereinspiredbyintellectualinterest,aswellassimplehedonism(享乐主义).DruguseTheactualresultsofthisexperimentationcanbedifficulttodetermine.Claimsthatsomeofthesedrugscanenhancecreativity,insightorproductivitywerequitecommon,asisthebeliefthatthedrugsinusewereakeyinfluenceonthesocialeventsofthetime.SexualitySomeBeatwriterswereopenlygayorbisexual,includingtwoofthemostprominent(GinsbergandBurroughs).Somemeteachotherthroughgayconnections,includingDavidKammerer'sinterestinLucienCarr.ReasonsfortheappearanceoftheBeatGeneration:PoliticalReasonsThereweretwohostilegroupswhichleadedbySovietUnionandAmericaseparately.Bothofthemdevotedtothedevelopmentofmilitaryforce.Theywantedtosuppressedtheoppositegroupthoughthewar,sotheblankcloudsofwarcoveredthetwocountriesforatime.Atthattime,everybodyfeltinsecure.Theywereexhaustedbothinspiritandphysic.Livinginsuchkindofsurvivalenvironment,quitepartofAmericanyouthschoseanegativewaytorevoltthereality.EconomicReasonsAmericaoccupiedtheleadingstatusinthewestworldaftertheWorldWarII.Itenteredarichandprosperoustime,butatthattimemanypeoplestillfeltunhappy.Theydidnothavewhattheyreallywanted,becausetheirdesirealwayssurpassedtheirdegreewhichtheycouldsatisfy.Theyfellintothecommoditytrapwhichwasproducedbythemselves,themoregoodsproduced,themorepaintheygot.Ontheotherside,whenthetechnologydevelopedhighly,man'screativepower,personalityandeventhelifestyleweresuppressedandthrottled.Insuchaworld,manyyoungpeoplefelthelpless,andlosttheirdirectionandbelief.CulturalReasonsForculturalreasons,itcanbeclassifiedtotheAmericahistoryandliterature.EverybodyknowsthatAmericaalwayshassuchatradition---theyresistordersandpursuefreedom,evenbeforetheydepartedthemselvesfromEngland.Onliterature,thisspiritalsocanbefoundinsomeworkswhichwrittenbythemostrepresentativewriters.Forexample:Whitman.Hesangthepraiseoffreedom,lifeandpersonality.Hisworkproducedaprofoundandfar-readinginfluenceonAmericansocietyandliterature,especiallyonthebeatstyle.Jean-LouisJackKérouacMarch12,1922–October21,1969HewasanAmericannovelistandpoet.Heisconsideredaliteraryiconoclastand,alongsideWilliamS.BurroughsandAllenGinsberg,apioneeroftheBeatGeneration.Kerouacisrecognizedforhisspontaneousmethodofwriting,coveringtopicssuchasCatholicspirituality,jazz,promiscuity,Buddhism,drugs,poverty,andtravel.Kerouacbecameanundergroundcelebrityand,withotherbeats,aprogenitorofthehippiemovement,althoughheremainedantagonistictowardsomeofitspoliticallyradicalelements.In1969,atage47,Kerouacdiedfrominternalbleedingduetolongtermabuseofalcohol.EarlyadulthoodDuringthisperiod,hemetthepeople—nowfamous—withwhomhewouldalwaysbeassociated,thesubjectsinjectedintomanyofhisnovels:theso-calledBeatGeneration,includingAllenGinsberg,NealCassady,JohnClellonHolmes,HerbertHunckeandWilliamS.Burroughs.KerouacjoinedtheUnitedStatesMerchantMarinein1942,andin1943joinedtheUnitedStatesNavy,butheservedonlyeightdaysofactivedutybeforearrivingonthesicklist.AfterservingbrieflyintheUSMerchantMarine,Kerouacauthoredhisfirstnovel,TheSeaisMyBrother.Althoughwrittenin1942,thebookwasnotpublisheduntil2011,some42yearsafterKerouac'sdeath,and70yearsafterthebookwaswritten.AlthoughKerouacdescribedtheworkasbeingaboutman’ssimplerevoltfromsocietyasitis,withtheinequalities,frustration,andself-inflictedagonies,Kerouacreputedlyviewedtheworkasafailure,reportedlycallingitacrock[ofshit]asliteratureandneveractivelysoughtpublicationofthebook.Earlycareer:1950–1957TheTownandtheCitywaspublishedin1950underthenameJohnKerouacand,thoughitearnedhimafewrespectablereviews,thebooksoldpoorly.HeavilyinfluencedbyKerouac'sreadingofThomasWolfe,itreflectsonthegenerationalepicformulaandthecontrastsofsmalltownlifeversusthemulti-dimensional,andlargerlifeofthecity.Forthenextsixyears,Kerouaccontinuedtowriteregularly.Buildinguponpreviousdraftstentativelytitled“TheBeatGeneration”and“GoneontheRoad,”KerouaccompletedwhatisnowknownasOntheRoadinApril1951ThebookwaslargelyautobiographicalanddescribesKerouac‘sroad-t