Media Analysis - 'The Beat Generation'

A group of writers, a cultural phenomenon or an era in time, 'The Beat Generation' is famous for celebrating non-conformity and spontaneous creativity; pushing the boundaries in 1950s America. Coined by Jack Kerouac in 1948, the 'Beat Generation' labelled a group of writers, including Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady, William Burroughs and later, Gregory Corso and Herbert Huncke. Their lifestyles and perspectives on society inspired a carefree, reckless approach to literature; acting as bohemian hedonists, defining both their philosophy of hedonism - 'pleasure is the most important pursuit of mankind' - and untraditional bohemian lifestyle, seen at the time as unorthodox.
The members of the beat generation yearned for worldly experiences and a deeper spiritual understanding; their experimentation with drugs, sexuality and criminal activities were conveyed in their writing and was seen as either an act of obscenity or heroism. The writers were admired by many and frowned upon by others but by the early '60s, this generation of youngsters had pushed the boundaries of acceptability.
The most iconic and inspirational works of the beats include Allen Ginsburg's 'Hawl', William Burroughs's 'Naked Lunch' and Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road'.


'The Beat Generation' - back row: Kerouac, Ginsberg and Orlovsky; in front: Corso and Orlovsky's brother Lafcadio - travelling in Mexico