The Beat Generation of the Sixties - Essay Example

?The Beat Generation and the Sixties The 1950s is often seen as the ‘calm before the storm’, a decade of relative peace and prosperity between the Second World War and the social revolution of the sixties. It was a time of domestic tranquility and social stability where most Americans were focused on raising families in the period of relative prosperity. However, within this calm, the seeds for the cultural and social revolution of the 1960s were sown, in the form of the Beat generation. The Beat generation was post World War II youth, especially writers, who were prominent in the 1950s. The generation and the literature that it developed has been extensively debated by academics and journalists . They were a postwar generation, and the war had made them weary and long to escape. They turned to inner examination in the form of literature, to drugs and in some cases to crime. It was this emotion and the desire to escape from the bounds of life and society that paved the way for the cultural revolution of the 1960s. The 1960s were a decade of social and cultural change, commonly known for indulgence and excess, as well as the disregard for many of social norms of the time. Two different impulses drove the youth of the sixties, the spiritual and the desire for revolution. Both of these impulses can be tied back to the Beat Generation. The term Beat was first used by writer Herbert Huncke who picked it up in Chicago. In that context, beat was used to describe the condition of travelers who had been travelling for a long time. However, it was the phrase “I guess you might say we’re a Beat Generation” made by Jack Kerouac and quoted by writer John Holmes that make the term popular . Members of the Beat Generation were far from the stereotypical American, and as such, they challenged the perceptions of those around them. They were considered to be interested in the extremes of life, too independent and intent to be taken seriously by their elders or society around them . Television and magazines depicted the Beats as rebels , and to many extents they were. Although there was no universal politic for the Beat Generation, it could generally be considered a worn down culture, rubbed raw from repeated use and abuse and tired of the rigidly of society around them. Many used drugs as a means of escaping the confines of society and those that broke laws showed little to no guilt about doing so . The Beat Generation had either fought or witnessed the Second World War, and years of fighting, hardship and loss had led to many angry at the cost of victory and tired of the violence of war . These two factors combined in the sixties to produce a generation that saw war as a waste of lives and was tired of the oppressive nature of government. The Vietnam War had been in operation since 1955 however, it was early in the sixties that the war became especially prevalent. In addition, the Bay of Pigs, a failed attempt at overthrowing the Cuban government occurred in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred in 1962. All of these events considerably grew the antiwar sentiment among the population resulting in a change from the non active Beat Generation, that did not get politically involved, to the anti-war protests of the hippie era. The same can be seen in regards to the environment. The desire to defend the environment was prominent among many members of the Beat Generation, yet other members of the generation had no interest in it . In addition, some of those interested in environmental conservation did not wish to identify with the Beat Generation label. This desire to protect the environment grew from the Beat Generation, inspiring a save the environment movement within the sixties. Thus, while both the Beat Generation and those from the sixties had many of the same values, these grew from a more theoretical base within the Beats to something that was applied actively through protests and movements. The American Dream, prosperity and security appeared readily available in the 1950s, but not so for the Beat Generation. Beat writers spoke of the lack of purpose in middle class life, how bland and the high level of conformity that was present. They saw themselves as poets and intellectuals, seeking spiritual fulfillment rather than material . This attitude is easily recognized, as one prevalent aspect of the sixties was that of spirituality. People desired to know themselves and for this, many turned to drugs to expand their mind. Many of the prevalent themes of sixties spirituality such as experience being more important than doctrine or reason, the use of drugs for spiritual revelation and new being better than old, were seen in the Beat Generation. Indeed, the use of drugs was a prominent part of both the Beat Generation and the culture of the sixties. In both cases, drugs were used first in order to see what the effects were, as a means of trying to achieve more consciousness or a higher level of understanding. Over time, the use of drugs changed to use for pleasure and as a consequence of addition. It was the use of drugs in the Beat Generation inspired those of the sixties to do likewise. The Beat literary movement was an important aspect of the generation, and part of their enduring legacy. The movement began in the 1940s in New York City and was prevalent in the 1950s as a consequence of interaction with San Francisco artists . This was not limited to males; female Beat writers were also prevalent. Beat writing, whether it was male of female was full of passion and played a crucial role both in the Beat Generation itself, and in the sixties revolution that followed. Through putting their ideas and thoughts into words, the Beat authors were able to share their perceptions among a wide audience. Three main men were considered to be the main authors for the generation, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Like the generation itself, there is no unifying theme or style that defines Beat, Beat authors can instead be identified by their challenge of the postwar culture as well as their personal relations and associations . These writings, with their passion and desire for change served as a significant influence to the culture for the generation that followed them, inspiring and encouraging the radical desire for change that took place during the 1960s. The sexual revolution of the sixties also had its birth in the Beat Generation. Although the values of family, morality and purity were prevalent within the 1950s, beneath the surface change was occurring. Studies published at the time indicated that sex life behind the closed doors of the bedroom was considerably wilder and more imaginative than people realized. Likewise, Playboy was produced at this time, with publisher Hugh Hefner intentionally offending the sensibilities of much of the population . Sexuality played a strong part in Beat culture. Homosexuality or bisexuality was common among the Beat Generation, especially among its more well-known literary figures. Writing at the time was also controversial for the time with mentions of homosexuality, drug use and descriptions of sex all as group sex. These examinations of alternative sex practices and the freedom in which the authors discussed them (or attempted to discuss them) provided a base for the freedom of expression that came with the sixties. In many ways, the Beat culture bled into the hippie culture of the 1960s. Much of the same passion against war, institutions and government remained. However, while the Beat generation turned this passion inwards, wearing dark colors, shade and goatees, writing their thoughts and views in long novels, the hippies turned this passion outwards. The dark colors were replaced with colorful and loose clothing, and the hippies replaced the passive nature of the Beats with a more active outlook, with the hippies being involved actively in both the anti-war movement and civil rights. Many of the prominent individuals from the Beats also became heavily involved in hippie culture, including being active participants of the anti-war movements. The culture of the sixties, free love, colorful clothing, long hair and the movements for peace, to end the war in Vietnam are widely recognized. Yet, what is often underestimated, or not even considered, is the movement or the generation that lay the groundwork for the sixties era. The radical notions of the sixties did not rise out of nothing; rather they were present in a group of war weary youths known as the Beat Generation. Rebels in their own right, the Beat Generation had many of the same ideals and beliefs as the hippies, however they were less overt, expressing themselves more in literature and among themselves than on the social and political stage. Nevertheless, it was this generation which sowed the seeds for the revolution that was to come significantly influencing many of the prevalent ideas of the sixties such as free love, anti-war, the use of drugs both for escapism and to expand one’s mind and the freedom to be oneself. Works Cited Harrison, B.T. "Roots of the Anti?Vietnam war movement." Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 16.2 (1993): 99-111. Print. Hemmer, K. Encyclopedia of beat literature. New York: Facts On File, 2007. Print. Holmes, J.C. "This is the Beat generation." New York Times Magazine.November 16 (1952). Print. Johnson, R., and Grace, N.M.C. Girls who wore black: women writing the beat generation. Rutgers Univ Pr, 2002. Print. Knight, B. Women of the Beat generation: the writers, artists, and muses at the heart of revolution. Conari Pr, 1998. Print. Lawlor, W. Beat culture: lifestyles, icons, and impact. Santa Barbara: Abc-Clio Inc, 2005. Print. Lee, A.R. The beat generation writers. Chicago: Pluto Pr, 1996. Print. Rabey, S. "Making peace with the sixties: reevaluating the legacy of a cultural revolution." Christian Research Journal 27.4 (2004). Print.  Read More