Jack Kerouac: An American Icon

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the life and writing of Jack Kerouac, the 1950s American author whose novel "On the Road" is considered a classic. The paper traces Kerouac's childhood in Massachusetts, including watershed events such as the death of his older brother. Then the paper analyzes the influence of the Beat Generation and other social phenomena on Kerouac's writing. The paper concludes with Kerouac's tragic demise from alcohol.

From the Paper:

"The Beat Generation. The Fabulous Fifties. Elvis. Rock and Roll. The Communist Menace. And then there was author Jack Kerouac. He defined a restless, dynamic and evolving generation of angst-ridden adventurers, who were desperately searching for the true meaning of life in the embodiment of this complex muse. Kerouac exuded a James Dean-like persona - in the way he wrote about, and ultimately lived, his life. Agnes Machate writes of Kerouac and his fellow writers of the Beat Generation: "They did not seem to pay too much attention to what was socially practical; in this regard they were rebels. If being non-conformist met their need for freedom and let them express themselves the way the wanted, and allowed them to be what they wanted to be, they did not have to obey any rules. They wouldn't fit in a group, but instead, stand out, so they wouldn't conform just to avoid an unpleasant treatment from society." ("The Generation of Extremes" 1)."

More papers on Jack Kerouac: An American Icon:

• Analytical Essay # 123816 : "Jack Kerouac and the Beat Generation"
• Analytical Essay # 71757 : "Jack Kerouac's "On The Road"
• Book Review # 75121 : "Analysis of Jack Kerouac's Works"

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