The Beat Generation: Shaping The Face Of American Culture
The Beat Generation
The Twentieth Century has witnessed several moments which have helped to shape the face of American culture. Each movement has in some way altered the way we, as Americans, think and act. One of the most influential literary movements of this century has been that of the Beat movement. The Beats were initially a small group of individuals situated in New York. The Beat writers were a small group of friends at first, and a movement later. The Beat Generation in literature consisted of a relatively small number of writers, of which Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs are the best known today. All three met in the surroundings of Columbia University in New York City in the mid 1940's, and they remained close …show more content…
Jack Kerouac coined the term "beat", with all it's hipster significance, during a conversation with Herbert Hunke a junkie, prostitute, petty thug, and aspiring writer he used the expression "Man I'm beat!" which meant that he was tired. Huncke used the term "beat" to describe his general feelings and outlook on life. It was at this time that young people were beginning to feel neglected, rundown, and outcasts. Jack had a field day with this expression. The kind of beatnesss is what described Kerouac and his friends; bright young Americans who'd come of age during the World War II but couldn't fit in as clean-cut soldiers or complacent young businessmen. They were beat because they didn't believe in straight jobs and had to struggle to survive. They lived in dirty apartments, sold drugs and committed crimes for food money. They hitchhiked across America because they couldn't stay still without getting bored
" It's the beat generation, it's the beat to keep, it's the beat of the heart, it's being beat and down in the world and like old-time lowdown and like in ancient civilizations the slave boatmen rowing galleys to a beat and servants spinning pottery to a beat." (Kerouac -AngelHeaded Hipster) The term "beat" has a second more spiritual meaning; "beatific" or sacred and holy. Kerouac was a devout Catholic and explained many times that by describing his generation as beat he was trying to capture the secret holiness …show more content…
He made the life of a writer sound exciting and, along with his Beat colleagues, helped liberate poetry from the page and take it to a more spiritual level. Jack helped make the discussion of religion hip by embracing the paradox that it was often the wretched and despised and the poor in spirit, who were most open to the things in heaven. The character Sal Paradise in On The Road , searches for soul in a world that seemed to be losing its soul. This character Sal is a disguised portrait of Kerouac himself. The story of On The Road is an actual account of Jack and Neal Cassady's experiences hitchhiking and traveling throughout America's
The Twentieth Century has witnessed several moments which have helped to shape the face of American culture. Each movement has in some way altered the way we, as Americans, think and act. One of the most influential literary movements of this century has been that of the Beat movement. The Beats were initially a small group of individuals situated in New York. The Beat writers were a small group of friends at first, and a movement later. The Beat Generation in literature consisted of a relatively small number of writers, of which Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs are the best known today. All three met in the surroundings of Columbia University in New York City in the mid 1940's, and they remained close …show more content…
Jack Kerouac coined the term "beat", with all it's hipster significance, during a conversation with Herbert Hunke a junkie, prostitute, petty thug, and aspiring writer he used the expression "Man I'm beat!" which meant that he was tired. Huncke used the term "beat" to describe his general feelings and outlook on life. It was at this time that young people were beginning to feel neglected, rundown, and outcasts. Jack had a field day with this expression. The kind of beatnesss is what described Kerouac and his friends; bright young Americans who'd come of age during the World War II but couldn't fit in as clean-cut soldiers or complacent young businessmen. They were beat because they didn't believe in straight jobs and had to struggle to survive. They lived in dirty apartments, sold drugs and committed crimes for food money. They hitchhiked across America because they couldn't stay still without getting bored
" It's the beat generation, it's the beat to keep, it's the beat of the heart, it's being beat and down in the world and like old-time lowdown and like in ancient civilizations the slave boatmen rowing galleys to a beat and servants spinning pottery to a beat." (Kerouac -AngelHeaded Hipster) The term "beat" has a second more spiritual meaning; "beatific" or sacred and holy. Kerouac was a devout Catholic and explained many times that by describing his generation as beat he was trying to capture the secret holiness …show more content…
He made the life of a writer sound exciting and, along with his Beat colleagues, helped liberate poetry from the page and take it to a more spiritual level. Jack helped make the discussion of religion hip by embracing the paradox that it was often the wretched and despised and the poor in spirit, who were most open to the things in heaven. The character Sal Paradise in On The Road , searches for soul in a world that seemed to be losing its soul. This character Sal is a disguised portrait of Kerouac himself. The story of On The Road is an actual account of Jack and Neal Cassady's experiences hitchhiking and traveling throughout America's