Generation Case
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Post World War II was far from the end of the fear of continuous ongoing war activities. People feared bombs blasting throughout the neighborhoods that were prevalent during the war. When the war ended, people were still paranoid that they would hear bombs go off and have other such threats happen to them and their families. On the other hand, a few other people opposed the notion to live in fear and wrote about their different non-conformist attitude. Writers Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Norman Mailer, William Burroughs, and Gary Snider were part of the “Beat Movement,” or the activists that stood up for what they believed in even if it was against what the majority believed. Though the minority, each of these writers had unique contributions that had an impact not only for the post World War II peoples paranoia perspective, but also on todays generation.
As the leader of the group, Kerouac is the Columbia writer drop out that seemed to spark the movement into existence. He encouraged his friends to join the movement and spoke highly of the term “beat.” Through Kerouacs eyes, he described the word beat as “characters of a special spirituality who did not gang up but were solitary Bartlebies staring out the dead wall window of our civilization” (xvii). Kerouac suggests that the cultural rebellion that he was a part of stressed a special sort of spirituality and mystery. This subculture of people soon began a following as it referred to anyone living a bohemian lifestyle and wanting to “advocate a revolution” (xxii). Similar to a small child seeing a box that says “do not open,” the child cannot help but take a peek. Kerouac wanted people to be curious and read the Beats writings- to share an experience regarding historical and political change. Shortly after the publication of Kerouacs novel, “On the Road,” the Beat Generation became a national phenomenon. “On the Road,” is similar to art “telling us what we known and dont know we know” (xxxi). Kerouac uses descriptive, detailed language to explain an unorthodox, spontaneous road trip “On the Road.” Portraying the character Sal Paradise, Kerouac traveled all over the United States experiencing different cultures and people along with experiencing a journey of self-discovery. The underlying meanings behind the novel portrayed more than just a road trip, but readers had a glimpse into Kerouacs take on a real life experience and the overall search for meaning. Kerouac wants to show readers a raw reality without the concoctions of the world mixed with the influential advertisements and media. He tries to show how manipulative higher power and authority can have on society-connecting this belief with how society functioned following World War II. And at the same time, many readers could relate to Kerouac, how he was trying to find himself in the novel, and at the same time began to wonder, what it really meant to live their lives at the end of the war.
Following in Kerouacs footsteps, Allen Ginsberg met Kerouac at Columbia University and had similar virtues regarding the social and political change. Ginsberg can be described as the activist in the group. Compared to the others, Ginsberg most likely would be found at a protest or strike speaking out on what he believed in. Ginsberg wrote with “an articulation of feeling” and he wanted his readers to feel this pent-up frustration, artistic energy, and self-destruction that he felt when writing his poetry. In his poem, “Howl,” Ginsberg describes how societys “Eyes are a thousand blind windows whose skyscrapers stand in the long streets like endless Jehovahs! (Ginsberg 68). Particularly, this stanza of the poem refers to Ginsbergs belief that society is blinded by the way laws and social norms are presented, and shields them from taking a stand if their opinion differs. Society stands back in fear, fear of not being accepted or achieve their needs if not going along with the majority. Only does one take a stand when the minority belief tries fighting against the common belief. Ginsbergs “Howl” managed to cause this scene as the poem was taken to court for its “obscene” material and for a while, banned in the United States. After years battling in court, Ginsbergs “Howl,” was able to prove its literary importance and gained much popularity as readers were curious of its teachings.
Looking back at Mailer, he provides a perceptive look into how people could not get past the sexual and racial stereotypes. In “The White Negro,” he speaks about how “one could hardly maintain the courage to be individual, to speak with ones own voice, for the years in which one could complacently accept oneself as part of an elite by being a radical were forever gone” (584). To Mailer, it appeared inevitable that society failed to have courage and stand up for what they believed. Even if the majority of people knew what was happening was wrong, no one had the nerve to stand up against the majority belief. Mailer also provided a look into defining a “hipster” from a “square” and what categorized the two terms. He tries to argue and defend the radical lifestyle of a hipster describing them as “sharing a collective disbelief in the words of men who had too much money and controlled too many thing, disbelief in the socially monolithic ideas of the single mate, the solid family and the respectable love life” (585). Mailer suggests that there is more ways to go about life than the ordinary, everyday ideals that make up the social norms. There are new ways “to be”, to surprise, and to create. Rather than focus on life of trying to obtain money, control, and endless security, Mailer tries to show that there are other alternatives to this conformist lifestyle or what is known. For example, during the time when Hitler ruled Germany, many people conformed to his beliefs because it was the majority ruling. However, in this case, people did not stand up to Hitler in fear of losing this security that Hitler provided them. This ties in with how many choose not to be the radical “hipster” in society because they do not want to be degraded or lose this sense of security felt by conforming to the social norms in society. Mailers way of defining “hipster” seemed to guide people into understanding the type of people that made up the Beat Movement. Mailer provides a better understanding for readers on what a “hipster” actually was and their reasoning behind their radical behavior.
William Burroughs, one of the three founders