Jack Kerouac Research Paper
Mark Metzger
Mr. Remy
English 11 AP Language and Composition
5 November 2012
Jack Kerouac There have been many great American writers, but one of the most notable is Jack Kerouac. Not only did he develop a unique and interesting way of writing, he defined a culture. Jack Kerouac helped develop the Beat Generation, which originated from a group of American writers in 1950’s New York City. The Beat Generation writers, also known as “The Beats,” had very liberal views, creating a culture involving non-materialistic ideals, sexuality and drugs, interests in Eastern religions, and, most-notably, the ecstatic expressionism of living. These ideas from the Beats eventually expanded into the hippie movement during the 60’s, creating a new cultural movement in America. The Beats spread these ideas through their writing, such as William S. Burroughs’ The Naked Lunch and Allen Ginsberg’s Howl. But the most important novel was Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. On the Road was a semi-autobiographical story documenting Jack Kerouac’s adventures across the country with …show more content…
Everything from Jack’s adventures with Neal Cassidy all the way to his death is matched accurately with many other sources. Gerald Nicosia’s Memory Babe, is a critical and memorable read if one is interested in learning about the Beats or specifically Kerouac. Nicosia did his research and compiled a biography of well-detailed, true, and interesting information. I personally have never read a biography as exciting and capturing as this one. I learned more about Jack Kerouac than I ever thought I’d know from On the Road, and learning about the culture around Jack’s life allowed me to see connections to modern cultures and how the world has been shaped due to him and his fellow Beats. Their ideas of living life to the fullest and taking in the passion and beauty of the world have become a basis for many of the peoples’ ideals of
Mr. Remy
English 11 AP Language and Composition
5 November 2012
Jack Kerouac There have been many great American writers, but one of the most notable is Jack Kerouac. Not only did he develop a unique and interesting way of writing, he defined a culture. Jack Kerouac helped develop the Beat Generation, which originated from a group of American writers in 1950’s New York City. The Beat Generation writers, also known as “The Beats,” had very liberal views, creating a culture involving non-materialistic ideals, sexuality and drugs, interests in Eastern religions, and, most-notably, the ecstatic expressionism of living. These ideas from the Beats eventually expanded into the hippie movement during the 60’s, creating a new cultural movement in America. The Beats spread these ideas through their writing, such as William S. Burroughs’ The Naked Lunch and Allen Ginsberg’s Howl. But the most important novel was Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. On the Road was a semi-autobiographical story documenting Jack Kerouac’s adventures across the country with …show more content…
Everything from Jack’s adventures with Neal Cassidy all the way to his death is matched accurately with many other sources. Gerald Nicosia’s Memory Babe, is a critical and memorable read if one is interested in learning about the Beats or specifically Kerouac. Nicosia did his research and compiled a biography of well-detailed, true, and interesting information. I personally have never read a biography as exciting and capturing as this one. I learned more about Jack Kerouac than I ever thought I’d know from On the Road, and learning about the culture around Jack’s life allowed me to see connections to modern cultures and how the world has been shaped due to him and his fellow Beats. Their ideas of living life to the fullest and taking in the passion and beauty of the world have become a basis for many of the peoples’ ideals of