The Beat GenerationBy Natalie Holderbaum and Jake Sylvestre

What Was It?

● A group of writers, artists, and musicians who were young anti-conformists

● They opposed social conformity, stylistic conventions, and materialism

Origins

● First showed up in San Francisco and Venice, California, the Left Bank of Paris, and Greenwich Village in New York

What Happened?● It was a time of rebellion● Many hallucinatory drugs and

meditation were used to “achieve a higher state of being”

● Many works of influential literature were written

Defining Characteristics

● Racy fashion that was considered sexual in nature by conformists of the time

● Different language habits ○ called each other “daddy-o’s”○ talked with incorrect grammar○ language was rather racy for the time

● Bought many books● Often carried bongos

Fashion ● Men- Wore black, turtleneck sweaters, baggy sweatshirts, dark sunglasses, sandals, dungarees (overalls), and dark berets

● Women- leotards, showy jewelry, ballet slippers, wore their hair long and straight

Question

● What caused this new anti-conformist culture to form?

● Why were the youth the main participants?

Books of particular significance

● On the Road and The Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac

● Junky, by William Burroughs ● Go by John Clellon Holmes● A Coney Island of the Mind - Lawrence

Ferlinghetti ● Howl by Allen Ginsberg

Who Was Important?

● Allen Ginsberg- Most well known poet. Howl and Other Poems

● Ken Kesey- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

● Jack Kerouac- Wrote the most controversial piece. On The Road

● William S. Burroughs- Naked Lunch

Religious Changes

● The beatnik generation were one of the first to experienced the first eastern religions in the western world

● These religions included ○ Buddhism○ Taoism○ Hinduism

Effect on the Future

● Set the grounds for the “counterculture” of the 1960’s and 1970’s (hippies)

● Their independence in reading and publishing work allowed future generations to have more freedom in debating and expressing their opinion in public

Effects on Future (cont.)

● Increased freedom partially led to liberation of oppressed groups

● Spread of environmentalism● Respect for diverse people, particularly

people from the east.● Started the decline of conformists religions.

Additional Info

Questions?Anybody?

Thanks for watching!

Citations:-Olson, James S. and Samuel Freeman. "Beatnik." Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.-Monhollon, Rusty. "Beat Generation." Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.-Hotchner, Jay. "Ken Kesey." Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.-Rahn, Josh. “The Beat Generation.” The Literature Network, 2011. Web 12 Mar. 2014- Matterson, Stephen “Mid-1950s-1960s Beat Generation.” The Essential Glossary: American Literature. PBS, 2003. Web. 12 Mar. 2014