Beat Generation: Utterance length and how it changes throughout
The Beat Generation on the Road
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Transcript of The Beat Generation on the Road
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The Beat Generation
Beat - first used by Jack Kerouac in aconversation with John Clellon Holmeshe used it to describe his contemporarygeneration as having an attitude ofbeatness or weariness with the world Kerouac imposed a new meaning to
this word, that is beatific.
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The Beat Generation
first joined forces in 1944 in New York,at the Columbia Universitycaptured the attention of the media withtheir argot, their odd dress, their casualpursuit of pleasure, and their professed
commitment to aesthetic values.
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The Beat Generation
Characteristics:- interest in personal relationship- sadness- discovering bond between the boys,- flirting with sex and drugs
- dedication to restlessness- impulsiveness- no perfection of style
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The Beat Generation
Representatives:
Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, William S.Burroughs, Neal Cassady, Gregory Corso,Peter Orlovsky
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On the Roadinterest in personal relationship:
- the friendship of Sal Paradise (JackKerouac) with Dean Moriarty (Neal
Cassady)
- With the coming of Dean Moriarty beganthe part of my life you could call my life on
the road. Before that Id often dreamed ofgoing West to see the country, alwaysvaguely planning and never taking off.
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On the Road
experimentation with drugs and sex
- Were trying to communicate with absolutehonesty and absolute completenesseverything on our minds. Weve had to takeBenzedrine
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On the Road experimentation with drugs and sex
- We picked up two girls, a pretty young blondeand a fat brunette. They were dumb and sullen,but we wanted to make them. We took them to arickety nightclub that was already closing, andthere I spent all but two dollars on Scotches forthem and beer for us. I was getting drunk anddidnt care; everything was fine. My whole beingand purpose was pointed at the little blonde. Iwanted to go in there with all my strength. Ihugged her and wanted to tell her
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On the Road experimentation with drugs and sex
- Her breasts stuck out straight and true; herlittle flanks looked delicious; her hair was longand lustrous black; and her eyes were greatbig blue things with timidities inside. I wished Iwas on her bus. A pain stabbed my heart, asit did every time I saw a girl I loved who wasgoing the opposite direction in this too-bigworld
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On the Road
Sadness- There was a lull when we came in. Gene
and Blondey just stood there, looking atnobody; all they wanted was cigarettes.There were some pretty girls, too. And oneof them made eyes at Blondey and henever saw it, and if he had he wouldnthave cared, he was so sad and gone
- The sad ride back to Denver began
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On the Road
Restlessness and impulsiveness
- represent the heart of the novel- the triggering impulses of Sals travels
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On the Road
Imperfection of style
- original scroll: 120ft scroll of teletypepaper roll of text
- no page breaks, no paragraphs, no realgrammatical or stylistic revision and isall single spaced
