Department Chair
Andrew D. Nicholls, Ph.D., Professor of History
Date of Award
12-2012
Access Control
Open Access
Degree Name
History, M.A.
Department
History and Social Studies Education Department
Advisor
Gary Marotta, Ph.D., Professor of History
Department Home page
http://history.buffalostate.edu/
First Reader
Gary Marotta, Ph.D., Professor of History
Second Reader
Donald Hetzner, Ed.D., Professor of History
Abstract
Regarded as the founder of the Beat Generation, Jack Kerouac is upheld as a symbol of post-war freedom and opportunity in America, a precursor of the cultural shift of the 1960s. This paper is an exploration of the lesser known traits of Kerouac: qualities that are in conflict with the persona that is most closely associated with the author. The thesis begins with an examination of Kerouac’s childhood in Lowell, Massachusetts, and his exposure to those traits he adopted in adulthood, and chronicles events in his life that display his subversive character. The main argument of the thesis is that Jack Kerouac is not the embodiment of independence and post-war freedom with which he is often associated. Heis, rather, a reflection of his small-town, rural upbringing in Lowell, as opposed to the emblem of carefree youth and counterculture he projected in his prose and poetry.
Recommended Citation
Wayne, Christopher, "He Honored Death, Too: The Subterranean Life of Jack Kerouac" (2012). History Theses. 14.
https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/history_theses/14
