The Howl and On the Road - Beat Literature Analysis - Book Report/Review Example

The Howl and On the Road Beat Literature Analysis 'The Howl' is a poem by Allen Ginsberg while 'On the Road' is a story by Jack Kerouac. These pieces of work have become a part of the canon of 'beat' literature. In order to understand how, this paper will first understand beat literature as well as the beat generation before going on to define the basis on which the literature discussed in this paper can be described as beat literature. For this, the paper will compare both pieces of work in terms of certain elements that form a part of beat literature. To begin with, the term 'beat generation' gained momentum during 1950 and 1960. They originated as a group of American writers who took to modern literature in terms of depiction of facts and realism. This period was a prelude to the 1970s where experimentation with drugs and rejection of family values took place as a common occurrence. This beat generation followed up with the depiction of facts based on such practices. People who were a part of this generation were earlier known as 'beatniks' before they entered the 1960s and 1970s where they came to be known as 'hippies', a term that has gained prominence in the past decades since then. (Kerouac, 1976) Communication forms in the form of electronic, print and other media has had a major role in deciding how western culture is perceived to begin with. This points specifically to America in most cases, which is where the beat generation first originated. (Brown, 2005; P 4). Thus, literature has been accepted in context of these communication forms that dominate the various resources in the world. Technological innovations are a matter of providing newer and better insights into the way various elements around us are perceived. This has had a large bearing on the way western culture is perceived to start with. This in turn, affects the fact that we associate art with western culture as well. This associative mode has a bearing on the relationship between western cultural values and the way any creation, including literature, is perceived. (Ginsberg, 1955) These two pieces of work - howl and on the road - have been studied as the structural implications of the affect of western cultural values on the way we see beat literature. This is a part of the associative mode that is an important premise in this paper. Individualism is an important part of western culture as far as life size depictions are concerned. (Ginsberg, 1955) This is apparent in the fact that technology is an important part of the way people in the west lead their lives. This gives rise to a sense of independence in everyday living which in turn supports the feeling of individualism in the way people lead their lives. This individualism has been connected with the two pieces of work that are being studied. (Kerouac, 1976) As discussed above, building and perceiving this indifference are inter related concepts in beat literature. This has been discussed as 'making' and 'matching' in Art and Mass Media. (Brown, 2005; P 4). This concept of 'making' and 'matching' is an important concept in the space within which a story and the elements associated with it is conceptualized. The space and form within which the story has been created shows that there is a disparity between 'making' and 'matching' which shows a departure from an adherence to norms within art and signifies the use of individualism in the elements instead. This adheres to the departure from family values and attachment to elements like drugs, smoke and traffic as depicted in Howl as well as On the Road. (Kerouac, 1976) Both the pieces of work are studies in individualism. While the Howl demonstrates this through the use of well defined and coloured elements within the narrative of the pains and perils that have become a part and parcel of one's life, it also shows individualism in the way the people have thrown themselves open to the Heavens and 'angels of Mohammed' which is a way of showing that the subjects have kept a major part of their personalities private - much like the lifestyles led in the west which have given rise to the present cultural values present there. (Ginsberg, 1955) Beat literature is based in tragedy more often than not. The basic difference is the lack of drama and the use of a tone of indifference when describing what must be pain of epic proportions for some people. (Ginsberg, 1955) The contemporary world and its portrayal in terms of beat literature if seen from the context of the two works above can be seen as the organisation of detail which promotes individualism. This organisation of detail has been viewed in the western world and its sphere of cultural values as the amalgamation and effective use of various communicative modes like electronic and print media. This new environment has led to the construction of an elevated human awareness within which literature is perceived. Here, there is an important play of bipolar opposition in the form of the Oriental perception of art form and the perception through western cultural values. (Brown, 2005) On the Road is autobiographical in some portions and it has been described as a living, breathing example of beat literature. It is a story of the author's lovers, friends and family as well as his life's experiences when it comes to these people. In this regard, it is a little more personal than Howl in the sense that Howl deals with the bared souls of people who are suffering at the hands of modernization. (Ginsberg, 1955) Therefore, these two works are a part of beat literature in many ways. The way we see literature as well as the people around us creates an aura within which we understand art as an element of our everyday lives. The aura is lost in context of mass media when there is a distortion of the elements of creation or literature in context of mass media. (Kerouac, 1976) The access and modes of association that come with beat literature have been diluted in effect and out reach as far as the perception through western cultural values is concerned. In accordance with the works discussed above, it is important to note that there is minimal play of the awareness mode in the aura of the protagonists' perception. In case of western cultural value's influence on the way a story is perceived, there is a play of various elements of individualism that affect the way literature, especially beat literature, is perceived. (Ginsberg, 1955) In the case of the above two works, it is important to see that individualism seemed more a frame of mind in which the stories were conceptualized and made. Yet, the 'making' and 'matching' are not matched in the contemporary sense as there is a larger play of elements of analysis in terms of gender, social strata as well as economic standing. (Brown, 2005; P 5 - 7) This can be seen clearly in On the Road where he describes the experiences of the main protagonist in keeping with relationships as well as his own sense of right and wrong. This shows a strong leaning towards individualism which is lacking in other genres of literature. (Kerouac, 1976) Yet, like a tragedy, the story unfolds and moves forward only with closure at some point or the other of the person's life. This is similar to the quality of the Howl, where a bleak picture is painted as far as escaping the pain and suffering is concerned. This has been furthered by the strong 'western' tone when speaking of 'western nights' and 'western shores' as well as Rockland in the poem. (Ginsberg, 1955) This points to the sense of individualism that is inborn in western culture. Since this kind of literature as well as the 'beat' generation basically came about in order to further liberalize what could and could not be published in a country like the United States, it is easy to see why the work pointedly asks questions of what is lacking and what is good in western culture as well as the element of individualism that is a given with this culture. This has been demonstrated in both pieces of work through the layers that slowly unfold in the characters. On the Road is a study in the process of imagination and maturity of thought process, while Howl demonstrates the maturity that comes with relationships and people on the street. These elements demonstrate an important quality of beat literature in terms of the shades that characters portray and what these stand for. These shades do not necessarily need to be black or white - they can be gray and still acceptable. In this manner, beat literature demonstrates a quality of western culture that shows where the beat generation originated from - the aim to gain more acceptance in terms of publishable material. This form of acceptance has come into play owing to the fact that drugs and crime have taken over a lot of young lives. In order to be thought provocative, beat literature does not depend merely on passing judgments of people who turn to drugs and shun family values among other such things, it aims at accepting people so as help them understand and admit what must be changed. In this regard, both Howl and On the Road qualify as beat literature owing to fact that they show the various shades of the characters in a more matter of fact manner rather than a judgmental manner. Like any other art form, literature and especially beat literature has its share of interpretation. A useful interpretive strategy that may be followed for beat literature as a revival form in modern art is one of the approaches towards the study of its structure as a work of fine art. (Kerouac, 1976) In order to transform itself as a concept in the mind of the viewer and the artists whose works are displayed within, it is imperative for the structure to viewed on a platform where fine arts is the basic yardstick for measuring and studying the story that unfolds along with the elements that are being described in great detail. Viewing the characters as well as the elements like lack of family bonding, drugs as well as the underlying messages in context of the practice of individualism itself as a work of fine arts will serve a two fold process. This will further lend credibility to the portrayals. (Kerouac, 1976) In case of beat literature and how Howl and On the Road qualify as beat literature, there are a variety of elements that come into play. First, there is the social concept in terms of culture and norms within which the society functions. Further is the economic implication of such a set up where art caters to societal demarcations. Here, the political side of it comes into play with the use of certain distinct styles and even elements that have been portrayed in defense of individualism as well as the upkeep of social values and traditions. (Kerouac, 1976) The necessary implications of such literature points to an economic leaning in terms of outreach of the story and the practicability factor as well. The visual expressions then become a part of revolutionary agendas as far as creating "beauty for the masses" is concerned. (Ginsberg, 1955) This in turn has a strong effect on the overall complexity or the simplicity of the elements in literature like Howl and On the Road is concerned. These ideals then follow a pattern of evolution to imitate the more upscale art even as they are going 'out of fashion' even in the upscale circles. (Kerouac, 1976) In effect, user participation as far as story telling goes in the case of Howl and On the Road, has become the underlying trend in every story that originates on the basis of beat literature. This has ushered in a new twist in the interpretive strategies in terms of the non verbal use of language to depict the semiotic and phenomenological side of a character's thought process. According to the above statement, ideology translates to theory when seen through the eyes of a particular expression as is the case in On the Road where the character is faced with diplomacy and learns to seek out a more straight approach to matters. (Kerouac, 1976) In this regard, Howl and On the Road have beat literature as a common genre. Literature has been a focal point for a variety of cultures since the history of time. It is an expression of how a race or a group of people perceive themselves in relation with the world around them. In this context, an important premise remains the fact that literature, especially beat literature, is born from within and from influences that come from the outside. (Kerouac, 1976) This paper has been based on the concept of beat literature and the issues that have had an immense influence on the way it is perceived in the modern world in context of the Howl and On the Road. The modern portrayals of literature depend to a great extent on the stereotypical depictions of features within life, while beat literature deviates from that and depends on the vertical rather than the horizontal, which is a case of portraying a traditional feature in a new light. This is where the Howl and On the Road come together in the sense that they both have a new take on realism. (Ginsberg, 1955) This sense of realism transports a reader and helps him or her think outside the box - which is the essential aim of any piece of work that tries to qualify as beat literature. This in turn helps people identify with the characters at some level or the other in terms of temptation, weaknesses and other such traits that are not that obvious. Both Howl and On the Road have these qualities which sets them apart from the usual genres one finds in literature in order to qualify as beat literature. This also spells liberalism as far as the right to choose one's own life calling is concerned. References Ginsberg, Allen (1955). The Howl. URL:http://cda.mrs.umn.edu/beaversg/ginsberg (Accessed during: Nov, 2008) Kerouac, Jack (1976). On the Road. Penguin. Brown, Betty A (2005). Art and Mass Media. Second Edition. (Please add remaining reference of publication) Read More