Kerouac (Click to select text)

Martin, William 2-14-97 Charters, Ann. Kerouac: A Biography. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1959, 1994. 419 pp. Jack Kerouac Kerouac: A Biography, helps to explain how Jack Kerouac, the founder and most important member of the Beat movement, was influenced by the rapidly changing culture of the 1950’s, as well as, how Kerouac ignited a social and literal revolution in America, from which the Beatniks and Hippies emerged. All of Kerouac’s books drew public attention due to Kerouac’s originality and new style of writing. Kerouac’s originality and unique style of writing is also why, “Kerouac is best known as the key figure of the artistic and cultural phenomenon of the 1950’s known as the Beat movement” (Stine 273). Kerouac: A Biography helps to explain why the statement above is true. The book, Kerouac: A Biography, is very thorough and explains every aspect of Jack Kerouac: past, present, and future. Everything is very detailed throughout the book. According to Deck: “Ann Charter’s ‘Kerouac,’ taken as straight biography or as an evocation of perhaps one of the liveliest periods in American letters, is a pleasure. It is about men and ideas that changed everything. That’s reason is enough o read it” (23). Deck’s statement is true, the book is a pleasure to read. Kerouac was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, on March 12, 1922. Kerouac went to school in New York City and afterward served in World War II. After the war Kerouac became a wanderer, traveling through the United States and Mexico. Kerouac’s wandering and experiences are what created the subject matter of his books. Even though Charters is friends with Kerouac, she is not biased. Charters explains both the positive and negative aspects of Jack Kerouac, such as Kerouac’s alcoholism. Charters also discusses all of Kerouac’s works and how they are actually personal stories of Kerouac’s life. The changing culture of the 1950’s is what inspired Kerouac to evolve into the creative genius that he became. In San Francisco, California, and Greenwich Village, New York, America’s culture was beginning to change during the 1950’s. Jazz, sex, and drugs were eminent throughout both of these cities. The bohemian culture, as well as, Eastern philosophy were also beginning to play a major role in people’s lives. People were beginning to open there minds to Eastern philosophy and trying to ignore the idealism of the unenlightened West. Other influences of Kerouac were such writers as Walt Whitman and Henry Miller. Kerouac greatly identified with their ideas of free love, and writing from personal experiences. Neal Cassady also influenced Kerouac. “Neal’s autobiographical style was exactly what Kerouac had been fumbling toward himself in his grandiose plans to be a writer” (Deck 23). Kerouac had many influences, but it was mostly his originality which led him to become a great writer. Jack Kerouac had a long lasting effect on America for years to come, because he enlightened people in different ways to think and live. Kerouac created a new style of writing known as spontaneous prose; which is a style of writing in which one writes with an undisturbed flow from the mind. (Tytell 142). Kerouac also created a social and literary movement, known as the Beat movement. Followers of the Beat movement were known as Beatniks. The Beatniks advocated personal release, purification, and illumination through the heightened sensory awareness that can be induced by sex, drugs, or jazz. Spontaneous prose became a way of life for the Beatniks. They began to live their lives by means of spontaneity. Whenever an idea would come to them they would act it out without thought or concern. The Beatniks later evolved into the Hippies, and created a whole new nation through music, art, literature, and social behavior. Jack Kerouac and the Beatniks created a cultural revolution which changed America forever. During the 1960’s most critics did not consider Kerouac to be a great writer, and did not like the message he had to convey. They thought Kerouac’s subject matter was lewd and influenced people in a negative way. “When his work was condemned along with the movement, Kerouac withdrew from society and took to drinking. He died at the age of forty-seven, feeling neglected and scorned, never suspecting that he would become one of the most widely read writers of his generation” (Kheridan 136). It is a shame that Kerouac never knew what a great impact he had on society and literature. Kerouac opened up new doors for people to express their true feelings and beliefs through literature. Jack Kerouac’s creativeness and inovativeness have changed the literary, musical, artistic, and social aspects of America, through his writing and creation of the Beat generation.