The Beat Generation. Vulnerable Victims or Inviolable Individuals? E-Book

Lisa Kastl

• Herausgeber: GRIN Verlag
• Sprache: Deutsch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Essay aus dem Jahr 2011 im Fachbereich Didaktik für das Fach Englisch - Literaturgeschichte, Epochen, Note: 1,5, Universität Stuttgart (Institut für Anglistik), Veranstaltung: Beat Culture, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Essay über die Beat Generation unter Betracht ausgewählter Werke (u.a. von Jack Kerouac und Diane DiPrima) Introduction Vulnerability is often one-dimensionally viewed as the degree to which mishaps, pain and shame are allowed to enter into one’s life. However it is also the birthplace of creativity and basis for a feeling of self-worthiness. Thereby vulnerability creates authenticity . There are various different definitions of vulnerability according to the field in which the term is used..

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Vulerability is ofte oe-dimesioally viewed as the degree to which mishaps, pai ad shame are allowed to eter ito oe’s life. However it is also the birthplace of creativity ad basis for a feelig of self-worthiess. Thereby vulerability creates autheticity[1]. There are various differet defiitios of vulerability accordig to the field i which the term is used. The most commoly foud dictioary defiitio states that “Vulerability refers to the susceptibility of a perso, group, society or system to physical or emotioal ijury or attack. The term ca also refer to a perso who let their guard dow, leavig themselves ope to cesure or criticism. Vulerability refers to a perso's state of beig liable to succumb to maipulatio, persuasio, temptatio etc.”[2]The liability to succumb, as to persuasio or temptatio would be a iterestig motive whe lookig at Memoirs of a Beatik. The way the heroie gives i to temptatio would make the ovel – accordig to this part of the defiitio - a maifesto of vulerability. Other sources claim that vulerability is the key igrediet to sex-appeal[3], or that actors eed to have a vulerable elemet i their compositio of character i order to be covicig[4]. However this last part of the defiitio seems too arrow for a solid basis from which the hut for the Beat Geeratio’s vulerability ca set out o. The way i which vulerability - emotioally or physically - occurs i the two ovels Memoirs of a Beatik by Diae Di Prima ad O the Road by Jack Kerouac will form the ceterpiece of this aalysis. Shame which ca be cosidered a possible outcome of vulerability is defied as the “fear of discoectio”[5]ad discoectio of self is a strog drivig force i both ovels.

The Beat Geeratio itself is defied by the disorietatio of its members, by their discoectio from the maistream society at the time. The Beat Geeratio is braded by idividuals who cosider themselves ad/or are cosidered outcasts of society, idividuals who caot or chose ot to live withi the defied realms of the ordiary maistream society. Beig “beat” meat to be ragged, ravished ad wor dow. The Beatiks were kow for ot acceptig the world as past geeratios had haded it dow to them ad expressig this attitude by wearig “beat” clothig (like bums), livig a extreme lifestyle (drugs, promiscuity, detestig coformist believes ad values). The stereotype Beatik is a itellectual loer, a hurt ad disillusioed idividual who is strugglig to fid aswers ad is logig to fid a ew way of livig a worthy life.

The pai which the ovel’s heroes both have to experiece slightly differs from oe aother; the ijuries they have to bear have their ow distict maifestatios. Both psychological ad physical attacks of the self are discovered. The fasciatio lies i the protagoists’ dealig with them. What is iterestig about this is the fact that the female protagoist makes it much harder to idetify momets of vulerability tha the male protagoist i O the Road.

Memoirs of a Beatik

Diae Di Prima masters the Game – ad “the game [is] cool” (27). This Cooless which forms the basis for her fictioal report, makes it quite a challege to reveal momets of vulerability, where the heroie has to face discoectio. Eve though she lives the live of a outcast, she hardly writes about the feelig of beig discoected, but rather vividly depicts the image of a strog ad itese coectio while copulatig with her parters. This might be due to the primary itetio of the work to be a well-sellig sex ovel without too may dow otes. However, the profoud icorporatig of the “rule of cool” (133) itself makes the momets of vulerability or eve shame rare occasios. The “eteral tiresome rule of Cool” as DiPrima calls it o page 133 is the key to the rare occurrig of momets of shame or vulerability. A perfect reaso for shame, fear ad major vulerability comes up i the begiig of the ovel, whe the protagoist is beig raped by the much older Serge. She does ot state that she experieces fear ad horror, but she recouts rather uemotioal how the situatio evolves ad a possible fear is oly spelled out i this setece: “Ad my fear ad horror seemed ridiculous.” (68)