11 Pastor.pmd which is the most important, butifviewedtogetherwiththeforminwhichreal-life which isthemostimportant, critical andsympathetic.Seen fromtoday, itis probablythe“document” aspect with thismovement attheendof 1940sfromaperspectivewhichisatonce in presenting the“core” groupofBeatwritersandotherpersonalities associated into hellandaprogressiontoward self-understanding.Asadocument,itsvaluelies toformaspiralwhichisatthesametimedescent these real-lifeeventsstructured densing real-lifeeventsfrom1948-1950intonovel form.Asanovel, itpresents invaluable documentofwhatwaslatertobeknown astheBeatgeneration,con- dialogues were verbatimreproductionsofactualconversations. Assuchitisan Most oftheeventsandcharacterswere taken fromrealityandevenmanyofthe introduction tothe1980reprint,itwasabookthatbarely fictionalizedatall. PALABRAS tra lasdosdirecciones queasumiólarebeliónbeat,comoseres derrotadosybeatíficos. vistosdesdeunaperspectivacrítica.Lanovela mues- to desusactitudesycomportamientos comounauténticodescensoalosinfiernosytambiéndocumen- está estructurada Go RESUMEN KEY more idealisticandbeatific. tions thebeatrebellion took,oneasadefeatedorbeatendown movement, andanother, as writers fromaperspectivethatiscriticalandsympathetic. The novel shows thetwodirec- tured asadescentintohell,anddocumentwhosevalueliesinpresenting theBeat Go ABSTRACT rrotado, beatífico. trodden, beatific. , la novela de un atento observador ointérprete delosmiembroslageneraciónBeat, , lanovela deunatentoobservador orinterpreter oftheBeatgroup, canbeseenstruc- , theworkofaninformedobserver

WORDS

Go CLAVE : Beatgeneration,Jack Kerouac,AllenGinsberg, John ClellonHolmes, down- (1952)wasJohn ClellonHolmes’s firstnovel, andasheadmitsin the R : generaciónBeat,Jack Kerouac,AllenGinsberg,John ClellonColmes,de- EVISTA C FROM ACRITICALPERSPECTIVE ANARIA 151 GO

: THE BEAT GENERATION DE E Universidad deSalamanca Daniel Pastor García STUDIOS I NGLESES , 61;November 2010,pp. 151-159 17/11/2010, 9:21

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DANIEL PASTOR GARCÍA 152 spective fromthispointon.Part hypocrisy ratherthanamatterofphysicalfidelity. Paul becomesincreasinglyintro- She ismore concernedwitha“new” moralityhere;itisaquestionofhonesty vs. wants toleavehim.She cannotbearthefactthathehasliedtoherforthreeyears. them —theyare anycaresotherthanthepresent: beyond ashewandersatthefactthatthisis with avisionoftheirmortality habit,andHobbes adrug They engageinpettycrimeorder isgripped tosupport (Herbert Huncke), LittleRock (LittleJack Melody), and Winnie Russell). (Vickie to the“cool”, Ancke andincreasinglyillegalworldoftheundergroundwithAlbert and people but also a critical commentary onthem.AsMcNallyand peoplebutalsoacriticalcommentary says, events andpeopleare wecanseenotonlyadepictionofthesetimes fictionalized, time towriting. stood thatsheisalsotheonewhoworksataboringjobsoPaul candedicatehis accepts thiswayoflife.She isanchoredinconventionality, butitmustbeunder- and theneedtoexperiment,evensleepswithPasternak, butsheneverquite to wonderabouthisown waversbetweenconventionality “lovelessness.” Kathryn everyone’s actionseventhoughhesecretlydisapproves. Hobbes protestsbutbegins Stofsky tosavagelycriticizehimforhishypocrisy—forseeminggoalongwith withtheideaofstealing. quiet eventhoughheisnotatallcomfortable This causes gasoline. toovertly protest,butPaul withillegalitycausesKathryn This brush is andEdSchindel(AlHinckle) presentwhenHart steal joint, andtheyarelikewise capacity formovement. It isduringHart’s visitthatPaul firstsmokea andKathryn gious. Pasternak andStofsky adorehim,andPaul isintriguedbyhisincredible isgenerallyconta- loves lifeandhisenthusiasmfor everything some dope.Hart togetholdof inchasesaroundtownconstant movement trying involveseveryone him. Part Kennedy(Neal intown IImarksthearrival ofHart Cassady)whose Daniel Vergeris gratuitouslyhurting (Russell Durgin) admires whoprofoundly “a fatalvisionoftheworld...(andhis)inabilitytoreallybelieveinanything” (19), Bill anticsderivefrom Agatson(Bill Cannastra),whoseoutrageousandoftencruel hedreamed about“Andparty gotsohunguponthemselves” then everyone (5). tion arerelativelytame,theyalreadybeginningtodecay, asPasternak saysofa inthefirstsec- writes anovel Althoughtheparties without muchrealconfidence. himself andfindadirection following thewar:hegoesbacktoschool,reads,and Kerouac) andDavidStofsky (AllenGinsberg). tore-assimilate Hobbes istrying involved inthebohemianlifestyleofPaul’s Beatfriends—GenePasternak (Jack John ClellonHolmes andhiswifeMarian—as theybegintogetmoreand three parts. The firstpresents thelifeofPaul is, Hobbes andhiswifeKathryn—that arrangement ofthenovel the samehungersactivatedusall,andthesisevaporated” (xxii),theoverriding based onDante’s presented inthedoubleperspectiveofdocument/fiction. the nation” (168). then,seekstoanalyzehow theBeatgenerationis This article, the firstpublicreflectionsonemotional,aesthetic,andspiritualdeficienciesof At theendofPart Holmes’ thenovel originalideawastostructure asadescentintohell, 152 Inferno , andalthoughhehasstatedthataswrote“saw that is thatofadescentintohell. The bookisdividedinto II , Kathryn hasfoundPaul’s, Kathryn love letterstoLiza,and III moves fromthe “hot” Kennedy worldofHart 17/11/2010, 9:21 not important to important Go is“one of 11 Pastor.pmd said tohimselfgravely, forhecouldnotseeityet” (311). left doubtful,asthenovel endswithHobbes’ is ourhome?’he question:“‘Where home. This symbolicescapeintodomesticlove asameansofsalvation,however, is andwithanimageofhissearchfor aspiritual tentative reconciliation withKathryn back toNew York, leavingtheothersbehind. The novel concludeswithHobbes’s andHobbes escapethishellastheyjustbarelycatchthelast ferry (309). Kathryn thanherealized. ‘Abandonfor actuallyhewasdrunker hopeallwhoenterhere’” and explicitlylikenstheplacetolastcircleofhell:“‘Abandon hope,’hethought, math ofAgatson’s death,Hobbes sees“the gnawofisolation” ineachofhisfriends to death.In theuglybaronRiverStreet inHoboken, wheretheygointheafter- tried tohaulhimbackbuthisheadcaughtagainstaplatformcolumnandcrushed he pretended toclimboutofanopenwindow. hisfriends Becausehewasdrunk killed inatragicaccident.Fooling aboutonasubway trainjustasitleftthestation scious” (292).But thefinaldescentintohellcameaweeklater, whenAgatsonwas made upofactionsblindandcowardly andbase,eventhoughtheywere uncon- bail scareshimforitscoldness:“And inallrelationships seemed suddenlyhispart volved. Hobbes’ own reactiontoseeingStofsky forthefirsttimewhenheisouton sobers theirfriendsconsiderably, becauseStofsky particularly wasinnocentlyin- was incapableofgettingridthestolengoods,theyareallarrested. The arrest papers havehisaddressonthem,thepolicefindthemimmediately, andsinceAncke wrong wayonaone-waystreetandinthechasecaroverturns. Since Stofsky’s house forsafekeepingincaseofapoliceraid,theyare spottedbypolicedrivingthe throw themout.Ironically, astheyaretransferringStofsky’s journaltohisbrother’s out becausehemeanstosavethemsomehow—and becauseitisnotinhisnatureto bring stolengoodstoStofsky’s Stofstky apartment. isincapableofthrowing them is unlikethesepeople. senses throughoverusing them,isthebeginningofend.He alsorealizesthathe Hobbes alreadysensesthatthemove from“hot” to“cool”, theeliminationof them turnedtohorror, andhegotuptoleave.(262) they spoke,painedonlyhimself. At theinstantofrecognizingthis,hisinterest in word a thought,andsotoseeitintheirfaces,hearlikeprophecyevery insights. For themitdidnotexist,evenasapossibility, forthey hadnevergivenit ment inacage;allofthiswastoHobbes, atthatmoment,themostuselessof some deathofironicalviciousnessinthebitterstreets, orthemadnessofconfine- the factthatthiswouldrelentlessly, occurtothemiftheydidnotdiefirst, certainly would benothingleftofhimbutascabby, flies; pod,besetbyimaginary shrunken devoured byhisownidea,theideathathewasslowly disintegrating,untilthere until itdriedandwrinkledawayheryouth;thatAnckewouldonedaybe lip, thatthenightsandstreetswouldeventuallybegintoscarherclearskin anxieties anaffront. The factthat Winnie wouldgetlaxofbreast andshrivelledof was now inescapabletohim;aworldinwhichhisvalueswere anuisanceandhis dropped intoaworldofshadowsthathaddriftedoutthegriptime,which of teaandtradingopinionsmutualfriendsnowinjail,hefeltthathad But lookingback intotheroomwhereAnckeand Winnie were lightingupsticks Ancke involvesStofsky incrimebyallowing Winnie andLittleRock to 153 17/11/2010, 9:21

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DANIEL PASTOR GARCÍA 154 themselves. James to Atlaswritesinhisforeword closeto,butessentiallyoutsideofthe Beats fictional self, andassuchstands very ofPaultrajectory Hobbes. Aswementionedabove, Hobbes isJohn ClellonHolmes’s andabetterwayofliving. higher truth middle-class Americanvaluesisaccompaniednotbynihilism,butasearchfor then, anothersideofBeatlife—the“beatific” orsacredside. Here therejection of though hedoesnotalwaysunderstandhim,believesinhim.Stofsky represents, trait. This isprobablyachievedbecause Paul Hobbes isopentoStofsky, andal- lieve, however, thatHolmes haspaintedasympathetic,ifsometimescomic,por- arrange hisfriends’ desperatelytolove, isaridiculousone.Ibe- lives,andtrying to more cynical,thefigureofStofsky flittingaboutandtalkingofhisvisions,trying inimpact...”(458).Perhapswas apersonmore cohesivethandisruptive tothe talk aboutGinsberg are hispersonalsweetnessandgentlenessofdisposition.He humane person.As Thomas Parkinson hassaid“Too littlestressedinallthepublic ing factoristhatStofsky isbasedcloselyonAllenGinsberg, whowasanessentially able toseeintohisconsciousnessandunderstandmotives.Anothercontribut- tothefactthatHolmes allowsThis isdueinpart himhisown voice,thereader is vision rightthroughtotheend.He isthemostsympatheticcharacterinnovel. he triestolove Winnie andLittleRock, buthemaintainshishumanityand ice toothers.He intheprocess,aswhen isgenerallymisunderstood,andevenhurt and tothehelpless,frightened“creatureliness” ofmanislove, sympathy, andserv- that theonlyproperandpracticalresponseto“secret lovelessness” oftheworld psychic maladyofourage,Stofsky “embodies thecure” (Stephenson 91).He sees humility, extendingcompassionandconsiderationtoall.IfAgatsonembodies the sity, hedecides tolivebyhisvision.Asaresult,heembarksonlifeofcharityand bytheideaofsuffering, anddoesnotunderstanditsneces- Although heistortured and theonlyimpedimenttolove andgoodistheunconcernofhumanheart. William Blake, Stofsky comestoanunderstandingoftheuniverse—Godislove, his encounterwithJack Waters’ insanity, experiencewith onthroughhisvisionary ofStofsky’shave thestory personalprogression towards thelight.Beginningwith only onesideofthestory. For in feeling andspontaneity(479-493). This isaratherharshjudgement,however, and this asanoutgrowth oftheBeatwriters’ rejection oftheintellectinfavourpure of exhausted,downtrodden, defeated,burdened withguilt.Norman Podhoretz sees “beaten down” aspectoftheBeatgeneration,useword beatinthesense next fix.It leadstodelinquencyandgratuitousviolence“justforkicks.” This isthe —heroin blocksoutallfeelinganddesire. The onlydesire thatexistsisofthe The move andpettycrimewasaccompaniedbyalossoffeeling intohard drugs On alesselevated,butmoredown and“normal” toearth level,wehavethe This descent into hell marks oneofthetrajectoriesBeatmovement.This descentintohellmarks derive from their indulgences...Hobbes... is a mere tourist in the underworld night- derive fromtheirindulgences...Hobbes... isameretouristintheunderworld unpersuadedbytheephemeraldelighthisfriends But heisskeptical,conservative, parties. to theblandishmentsofsquandered eveningsatnightclubsordrunken Not thatPaul Hobbes ...isanylessdissipatedthanhisfriends,susceptible 154 Go , paralleltothespirallingdescentintohell,we Go : 17/11/2010, 9:21 11 Pastor.pmd completed thefirstdraftof Holmes’s financialstability, asopposedtoKerouac’s own penury”(6). AfterHolmes towardsKerouac Holmes, feltanintenseinsecurityandrivalry by fuelledinpart self “indeed,throughouttheirlives,(they)keptanuneasy, love/hate relationship... the stereotypicalBeatlifestyleeventuallycausedfrictionbetweenKerouacandhim- however. According toMichael Dittman, Holmes’s successandhisrefusaltoadopt tive. This perspectiveisthestrongpointofnovel. Not sawitthatway, everyone Hobbes makes foraysintotheirworldbutretainsacritical,ifsympatheticperspec- Yet intheBeatworldeither: heisnotcompletelycomfortable for thegeneration. Then hewasjealousandresentful that had exploitedhisfriendshipwiththem,andthatusurpedroleasspokesman ally it’s headed...”(345). Tensions arosebetweenthem.Kerouac feltthatHolmes movement... (he)isridingourwagonwithoutknowinggenuine literary whereactu- furiously commented“John Holmes isalatecomer, ofour orthatis,apryer-intoer infringing onwhatheregarded ashisterritory, andinalettertoAllenGinsberg he of 1951,hegavethemanuscripttoKerouacread. Kerouac washorrifiedatHolmes husband aboutheraffairwithGene: middle-class values,aswhenheisdisappointedwithChristineforhavingtoldher sibility. He betweenbothworlds.Part lies somewhere ofhimrejectstraditional underground life” (126),ortothe“square” ormore conventionalworldofrespon- complacency asherealizesthatisnothonestwithhimselfshouldbe. to questionandgrow inwardly inthecourseofnovel. He isshakenoutofhis as Hobbes inthenovel, isdeeplyaffectedbyhisfriendship withtheBeatsandbegins both thegoodandbadpoints,thiscriticalperspectiveisessential.Holmes, sympathetic ifonlytheywere exposedtoit.He canalsostepbackfarenoughtosee asinterpreter oftheBeat movement toaclassofpeoplewhowouldbe can serve impediment, butIthinkweshouldconsidertheadvantagethatanoutsiderhas.He not whollyofascenecould” (167).Holmes’s positionasanoutsider is consideredan tomakesenseofaliens,andHolmes succeededaswellanyone intellectual trying which heconsideredhisown. For DennisMcNally, letterswarningHolmes topics tostayawayfromcertain to writinginflammatory publication whilehecouldstillnotfindapublisherfor fully, but unabletoquellhisimmediatefascination.”(xiii) life of Times Square dives...He ventures intothisworld“suspiciously, evenfear- fully faithless.(164) likethemakeshift selfjustificationstheywere, leavinghimfeelingsorrow-apart foolhardy ashewishedthemtobe.His bitter, fonddreamsofthem alwaysfell possibility ofanimpossiblesituation.People neverproved tobeeitherasnobleor inhimhadbeenviolated byherreversal,Some anobstinatebeliefinthe trust excited unbuttoning of his shirt tothewaist. excited unbuttoningofhisshirt That Hobbes and feltdiscomforted Now hesat,takingasanassuranceoftheattitudeChristine hadrejected,Hart’s Hobbes cannotdecidewhetherhebelongsto“this beatgeneration,this 155 Go (originallycalled The BeatGeneration Go On theRoad was“the honestworkofan Go hadbeenacceptedfor 17/11/2010, 9:21 (1957). He took ) inthespring

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DANIEL PASTOR GARCÍA 156 Carolina. Andthat’s thekindofgirlIcanunderstand,nottheseNew York bitches!” little girlsyoumeetatadanceinHarrisburg,oreven hitch-hiking aroundSouth fers. Speaking ofChristine,hesays:“...Afterall,she’s justone ofthosecrazy, warm the novel. They arethereasacontrastto“natural” women,suchasPasternak pre- We are notgivenanyreal insightinto them,however, andthisisoneoftheflaws that burnthemout,atleastinthecaseofBianca andMay, whohaveloved Agatson. The onlypossibleanalysisgivenisthatitperhapstheir relations withBeatmen such typifythe“Beatwoman.” The Beat womenareaffected,cool,andburnedout. others—May, W the kindofwomenthatmenwhoformnucleusBeatsprefer. The treated—Kathryn, Christine,and treated—Kathryn, especiallyfromKerouac”sets himapart, (121). The womenmostextensively malebehaviour ofwomenandhisrecognitionself-serving nuanced portrayal is noteworthy, “while heneverchallengestraditionalgenderroles,Holmes’ more women inthenovel. Cynthia S.HamiltonthinksthatHolmes’ depictionofwomen these people. outcome isleftopen.Hobbes isabetterperson,atleast,becauseofhiscontactwith the Beatmovement, andalthoughthenovel endsonapessimisticnote,thefinal system.Hobbes, then,hasdiscernedboththepositiveandnegativesideof support mate meaningoflife. Their roadcan bebeatificmainlythroughtheirbrotherly andevenbehappyastheysearchforsomeulti- —they helpeachothertosurvive tion thatexistsbetweenPasternak, Stofsky, andKennedyisessentiallysupportive —frustration fromlackofreal human interaction. Ontheotherhand,rela- sion ofbourgeoisnorms;ratherheseesbeyondthemintotheirunderlyingcause relation tohim.Hobbes’ transgres- sensibilitiesarenotdisturbedbythesuperficial with anyone,notevenhiswomen,whoare usuallynotablydestroyed bytheir Agatson’sthe causeofhisfrustration. problemisthathedoesnotcommunicate with Stofsky’s vision ofthemaladyworld:man’s alonenessandlackoflove is narrator recounts: leads tocrazybehaviourthatisessentiallymeaningless.Referring toAgatson,the the burned-outhipster, thefigure attheendofoneBeatroads,that failure of the heart; forStofskyfailure oftheheart; hadsethimwondering.(164) alien in inhimself, some fromanimperfection The GoHole arose,hewascertain, Another criticalpositiontoward theBeatsisthattakenbysomeof The authorhere, throughtheperceptionofHobbes, isinbasicagreement could sate.(272) ofragethatonlytheobliterationaworld and whichhasnoobject;thesort thathasenthralledhiswakingnature,possessed ofaragethatisalwaysfrustrated, alone andhasneverthoughttoconfideorcomplainanotherlivingsoul;aman isreallyastranger,man towhomeveryone whopassesthroughfeversandanxieties nition, nothingsaneorreliable,onlyanimbecilicsteadiness.It wasthestareofa His eyesburnedrightintoHobbes’ forasecond.But inthemthere was norecog- Hobbes isalsofrightenedbyAgatson,thenihilist,whorepresents tohim 156 innie, Georgia,Bianca—are mainlytypes,notindividuals,andas Dinah—ar e not really Beatatall. Yet theseare 17/11/2010, 9:21 11 Pastor.pmd Christine andthereasons forheractions,hereflects: tellsPaulto theessenceofthingsthantheyare. AfterKathryn herimpressionof ofthesewomenbecausetheyfeelthataresomehowmen areinawe closer one whobelievesthatwomenare tobe treatedasequals.Ontheotherhand —women aretheinexplicable stand allaboutthat” appealstomasculinecommonunderstanding (169).Hart get allhunguponthosethings. You andIknow that! That’s theirlevel. toputmedown, man? “But whyareyoutrying That’s thewaywomenare. They why hefeelshastodeceive Dinah, butHarts’s answerisfarfromsatisfactory: women goouttoworkatboringjobssothatthemenmay stayathomeandwrite. winner andthewifestaysathome,isliberatingonlyto themeninquestion—the middle-class value,especiallyprevalent inthe1950’s, thatthehusbandisbread- Inlove thissense,breakwiththe themforfinancialaswellemotionalsupport. to atraditionalideaofwomen.Moreover, theytendtomakeuseofthewomenwho It isobviousthattheBeatgeneration,foralltheirbreakswithconvention,stillhold of placingwomeninapositionwheretheirdifferencecan beusedtooppressthem. tofindtheanswers. trying This aweofwomanas“other” hasthenegativesideeffect ready understandandaccepttheuniverse. The Beatmenspendhoursand fellow humanbeingsbutratherasrare, differ thewomenbynotbeinghonestwiththem,treatingthemas are hurting them andthisshefindshard toforgive.OnlyStofsky, whoisgay, seeshow themen years ismoreintheveinof a“new” morality. He hasdestroyed between thetrust when shefindsthatPaul hasbeenwritinglove letterstoanotherwomanforthree infidelity comesup. She doesnotreallyaccepthiswaysafterall.Kathryn’s anger and acceptshisflaws,yetblows upwhenonelastincidentof(unconsummated) (LuAnn Henderson understands,defends, inreallife).She goesalongwithHart, example isDinah, Hart’s formerwife,whoiswithhimonhistriptoNew York and Pasternak, butwhichclashattimeswiththeir“hot” lifestyle. The mostblaring and considerationforothers,valueswhichare probablysharedbyStofsky, Hobbes with theirlifestyles,theyarebasicallyfaithfultomiddle-classvaluessuchasfidelity women hasitsdrawbacks,however, foralthoughtheylove theirmenandgoalong andDinah work,whilePaulKathryn donot. andHart This preference fornatural theirmeneconomically. tosupport byit.Most ofall,theyserve corrupted Both natural butatthesametimeputupwithlifestyleoftheirmenwithoutbeing cold asasnake...”(57). (55). For Pasternak, Georgiais“...oneofthoseemancipatedwomenwho’s really The “natural” womenhavenoneedofintellectualpretensions;theyal- dity. (129) fleeting, mannishpretensions—a barren Adam confrontedwithhisrib’s fecun- it, asattherecollectionofapastguilt,he,man,feltsuddenlyprey toall Katrhyn’s view, whichsheofferedtohimwithsuchcasual,womanlysurety. Before He wantedtoescape,onlyincidentallyforChristine,fromtheinevitablenessof For Beatmen,thelifestyleisnottransferabletowomen;theyarebe 157 other . Stofsky doesnotagree; heseemstobetheonly ent beings.He 17/11/2010, 9:21 questions Hart as to as questions Hart We under-

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DANIEL PASTOR GARCÍA 158 H D “half-intellectual juveniledelinquent” (96). of mation ofallexperienceunacceptableandthinkshimasaconmanorsort init.Hobbesto findanythingdeeplymeaningful findsKennedy’s uncriticalaffir- toothers(suchasDinah/LuAnn),suspects thathislifestylecancausehurt andfails open tolifeandconstantlyonthego,nevertiring,heisadmirable,butHolmes is aflawinthenovel ratherthanaflawinCassady. Asapersonwhoisprofoundly stand thefascinationthatCassadyheldforKerouacandGinsberg, butperhapsthis figure.Fromfun, “hot”, butessentiallysuperficial thenovel wecannotreallyunder- demystified pictureofNeal Cassady. Kennedy, AsHart hecomesacrossasacrazy, be nicetoseeamoreprofoundtreatmentofthesewomen. however,His superficial, treatmentofBeatwomenisunfortunately anditwould endofthe deal, althoughitisnotamajortheme. that womenaregettingtheshort Holmes probably(guiltily)recognized thisinjustice,asitisquiteclearinthenovel A C been noBeatgeneration,butI,forme,thinkitdoubtful. today. Perhaps therebellionofsixtieswouldhavetakenplaceevenifthere had lar liberationmovements whoseeffectscanbevastlyappreciatedinAmericaeven consolidating itselfaroundtheanti-warmovement, channelleditselfintoparticu- other, amovement ofpoliticalactionwhichbrokeawayfromtheOld Leftandafter the on pacifismanduniversallove, butwhichalsodissolvedinahazeofdrugs; founded next generationthatagaintooktworoads—onewhichwasthehippieroute, massivelythe die intheearlysixties,asmanyclaimedithad,butratherpervaded each intheirown complexityrealizedthe“movement” inanindividualway. negative aspectsofthisgrouppeople,whowere afterall,humanbeings,who critical distance,whilenotcondemning,allows ustoseeboththepositive and would seeksalvationforselfandothersthroughmorelove andmorehonesty. Holmes’ feeling, specificallyattheendofaneedle,andanother, idealisticandbeatific,which indifference toward out theworld andotherpeople,where theonlygoalistocrush directions whichthisrebellioncouldtake:onewouldleadtoconsummate the endof1940’s andthroughoutthe1950’s. He seesatleasttwodifferent stiflingconventionalnormsthatheldswayinAmericaat tion oftheparticularly formative years.Holmes presentsapictureofanintenselifestylejustifiedbyrejec- TLAS HARTERS ITTMAN AMILTON , James. “Foreword.” , MichaelJ. What we have in What wehave Holmes’ distancefromthe“core” groupofBeatfriendsalsogivesusarather 2001. tion Writers From thetoday’s perspective,wecanseethattheBeat movement didnot , Ann,ed. , Cynthia Prisoner S.“The ofSelf: The Work ofJohn ClellonHolmes.” 158 . Beat

Masterpieces ofBeat Literature Ed.

Down to Your Soul: What Was theBeatGeneration A. Robert Lee.London:Pluto,1996:114-127. A. Robert Go . John ClellonHolmes. New York: Thunder’s Mouth, 1988:xi-xvi. Go , then, is a complex view oftheBeatgenerationinits , then,isacomplexview WORKS CITED . Westport:Greenwood,2007. 17/11/2010, 9:21 . New York: Penguin, The BeatGenera- 11 Pastor.pmd S P P M H K TEPHENSON ODHORETZ ARKINSON EROUAC OLMES C N ALLY , John Clellon. , Jack. , Dennis. Southern IllinoisUP, 1990. New York: Penguin, 2001.479-493. Ann Charters. NewAnn Charters. York: Penguin, 2001.448-463. 1979. 1995. , Beat Writers:Thomas. “The orGeneration.” Phenomenon , Norman “The Know-Nothing, NormanBohemians.” “The , Gregory. Jack Kerouac:Selected Letters,1940-1956 Desolate Angel: Jack Kerouac,theBeatsandAmerica The Daybreak Boys: Essays ontheLiterature oftheBeatGeneration Go 159 .

New York: Thunder’s Mouth,1988. Beat Down to Your Soul . Ed. Ann Charters. New. Ed.AnnCharters. York: Penguin, . New York: RandomHouse, Beat Down to Your Soul 17/11/2010, 9:21 . Ed.AnnCharters. .

Carbondale: . Ed.

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