Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
5-2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Program
Liberal Studies
Advisor
George Fragopoulos
Subject Categories
American Literature
Keywords
Film, Fame, Beats, Kerouac
Abstract
This thesis traces the legacy and fame of Jack Kerouac from his lifetime up until current day. Since his death, pop-culture has glorified and stereotyped Kerouac to the point where he is an easily digestible concept of counterculture and coolness. This speaks to what our society craves--celebrities boiled down into clickbait titles and single-faceted understandings. Amidst chaos, who can blame us? But when we look at the real Kerouac, who the biographies and archival research say he is, we see someone much more complex than that. And, through writing autobiographical fiction, he introduced that complexity and messiness to his own generation. His generation manufactured a utopia of white picket fences while coping with the chaotic aftermath of two world wars. They craved uniformity; but Kerouac’s prescience told him to show them his messiness--break the stigma so they, too, could feel comfortable acknowledging their own flaws. Kerouac and the Beat Movement is what that era needed.
Recommended Citation
Crotser, Regina, ""He Who is Conscious of the Bright but Keeps to the Dark": The Fame and Legacy of Jack Kerouac" (2019). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3212