Naked Lunch by William Burroughs - Book Report/Review Example

The answer to the first question is that to say that the work of Burroughs has literary value is a massive understatement and a disservice to both the passion that went to the writing, the talent that is obvious and massive and evident in every page of the work, and the critical acclaim and passionate reaction for and against the work through time.   A testament to this is that, on the 50th year of its printing, it has been widely covered and received in major publications and reputable organizations all over the western world, with the appreciation for it growing by the year.

Proof of this is that even during its time, it was hailed as a kind of counterculture masterpiece and was respectfully and critically reviewed by major publications such as the New York Times. It is hailed as being timeless and relevant to every age and exceeding the timeliness of the works of other Beat writers like Ginsberg, who arguably spoke to an older generation. Even in its time too, its literary value was recognized as evident in the originality of its treatment of a controversial topic.

“The literary notion of time as simultaneous, a montage, is not original with Burroughs; what is original is the scientific bent he gives it and a view of the world that combines biochemistry, anthropology, and politics” (Woodard; McCarthy; Burroughs). The answer to the second question, on the theme of the work, is that of the factual representation of the world of the drug addict and the drug pusher. This factual representation is also the form that the art takes. In its factual depiction lies its beauty and its place as a work of art.

It is subjective, to be sure, but this is the only way that the world of the drug addict could be represented, from the inside looking out, and not as in the case of clinicians and law enforcers from the outside looking in. The naturalness of the narrative reinforces this theme of the factual, amoral depiction of what is considered a fringe undertaking by marginalized people in American society. The text stands out for having no other message other than the narrative taken for its own sake. “And our habits build up with the drag like cocaine will build you up staying ahead of the C bring-down” (Burroughs; McCarthy).

The answer to the third question is that Burroughs is both a drug addict and also, in the way he turned that addiction and channeled that passion that he had into a beautiful work of art and a literary work of great value, an anti-hero. By anti-hero hero here is meant something almost positive and redeeming, even if his actions and his addiction were from the standpoint of straight society criminal and degenerate. His lucidity and his objectivity give him and his work weight. His insider view provides the rest of society with an objective narrative to better understand the condition that drug addicts faced.

“I have seen the exact manner in which the junk virus operates through fifteen years of addiction” (Burroughs).