“I hope to hell when I do die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or something.  Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetery.  People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap.  Who wants flowers when you're dead?” (Salinger 155).  Being one of many unfeeling opinions of the main character from The Catcher in the Rye, this quote represents the disaffection of Holden Caulfield and many teens of his time.  In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, the author, J.D. Salinger, describes adolescent life in the 1950s and shows how conformist society affects the main character, Holden Caulfield after the death of his younger brother, Allie. Being one of the most complex characters in literature, Holden Caulfield’s experiences throughout the novel offer a glimpse into the mind of a teen in the 1950s. As stated by Bernard C. Kinnick in an essay on Holden’s Idealism, teens ignored the flaws and ugliness in the world while striving for a Utopian society. This ignorance also brought teens to a point of denial and according to Edwin Miller in an essay on Holden and Allie this denial affected Holden personally after he lost his brother to cancer. Therefore, in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caulfield’s attitude towards society represents the affects of ignorance and death on adolescents.  

In the late 40s and early 50s, the literary and social movement known as the Beat Movement began to grow in response to the postwar culture and middle-class values in America. Those involved in the Beat Movement were known as Beatniks. The Beatnik counterculture was anti-materialistic, and focused on the importance of improving one's inner self over the importance of improving one's material standing in the world. Through new forms of poetry, music, style, drug usage, and less popular spiritual pursuits, the Beatniks challenged conformism and brought more attention to the “questioning of traditional values." 

               One of the most important figures of the movement was poet and writer Allen Ginsberg who, along with other authors Jack Kerouac, William F. Burroughs, John Clellon Holmes and  Ferlinghetti, spurred the development of the Beat Movement in response to a deep distaste for the consumer culture in America. His involvement in Anti-War protests, civil rights organizations, and his political awareness made him an icon for the “Beats.”  

                    According to Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th Century America Ginsberg’s major work, “Howl,” which described how Ginsberg, “… saw the best minds of [his] generation destroyed by madness,” caused a considerable amount of controversy based on its content while becoming “a landmark in the world of postwar poetry and literature.” Because Ginsberg drew his inspirations for “Howl” from artists, political radicals, jazz musicians, and drug addicts he encountered in the late 1940s and early 50s, the poem exemplified all aspects of society and showed what the Beats were trying to change.

                    Because of Ginsberg’s devotion and efforts to spread activism and knowledge through his writings, the Beat Movement was able to gain support and attention from the nation. Even today, the poem is celebrated for its enduring power and influence on the nation.  With the help of the Beat Movement, women, African-Americans and homosexuals gained liberation in the midst of conformity. Ginsberg’s poetry aided in the development of new music styles that became accepted and his activism helped to spread opposition to the military-industrial machine civilization. The Beat Movement did not last for a long period but its legacy and the legacy of Ginsberg are still present in today’s society.  

        This excerpt was part of the original poem that Ginsberg used as a model for his most famous poem “Howl.”  What do you think that the author is trying to get across? Although the poem was published in the 1920s, do you think it exemplifies some of the ideas of the Beat Movement?

So i found a really great Wikipedia link on the Beat Generation and the Beatnik "subculture."

The Beatnik counterculture is anti-materialistic, and stressed the importance of bettering one's inner self over and above the importance of bettering one's material standing in the world. Most Beatniks were also in support of African American rights and desegregation.

The actual term Beatnik was made out to be negative. Due to its public "release" in a controversial time in history, Beatniks were rumored to be involved in communistic support. After Sputnik was launched, the Beatniks were considered pro communists and were viewed negatively by society because of the anti-communist feelings in society and the fear of McCarthyism.

Through their appearance, use of drugs and liberal attidtudes, the Beatniks were trying to rebel against middle-class standards of the Sixties

The important works of the Beatnik counter-culture are considered to be Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1957), Allen Ginsberg's Howl (1956), and William S. Burrough's Naked Lunch (1959).

The important figures of the movement are Herbert Hunke, Jaon Vollmer, Eddies Parker,  and Neal Cassady.

Hunke was encouraged to publish his writings, which he did in 1964,by the "beatniks" He used "Beat" to describe someone living roughly with no money and few prospects. Huncke was considered to have coined the phrase that eventually came to describe an entire generation.

Vollmer and Parker's apartment became a gathering place for the Beats during the 1940s, and many discussions and meetings of the movement took place their. Vollmer is considered to have"bulldozedthe Beats toward a new sensibility." Parker was also an influential writer of the movement.

Neal Cassady was an an icon of the Beatnik movement of the 1960s, perhaps best known as the inspiration for the character of Dean Moriarty in the classic On the Road. He was also in many of the major works of literature and film of the movement.

the major impacts of the Beatnik counter-culture are :

Gay liberation, Women's liberation, Bliberation, Gray Panther activism, lberation of the word from censorship,Demystification and/or decriminalization of some laws against drugs and marijuana, evolution of rhythm and blues into rock and roll as a high art form, spread of ecological consciousness,oposition to the military-industrial machine civilization

The article i chose was "Disaffection as a Self-Protecting Mechanism." The title itself is the theme that the article explores from the book, The Catcher and the Rye.  I chose this article because i too agree that this theme is present very clearly in the character of Holden Caufield. His habits, attitudes, and his state of mind in the book, to me, represent the teenagers who alienate themselves from the world as some form of protection. Inside of school or outside of school, Holden's negativity gives you a sense that he is lonely and has trouble dealing with social situations. Even though it is the "phonies" that  he is alienating himself from, the real phony is himself. These traits and flaws are the foundation of The Catcher and the Rye  and show that those who do isolate themselves are actually longing for that special bond with another person. I think that this is one of the main themes of the book and it  would provide a lot of insight, for me, on the character of Holden Caufield as a person and how he reflects real teens. This particular theme is of great interest to me and i plan on researching it more thoroughly in order to write my paper about Holden on a more personal level. I think that if i can understand Holden more I will be able to learn more about J.D Salinger's intentions for writing this book.

Sarah Lundy

American Studies

Travels with Charley Wikipedia Writing

            In the second passage, Steinbeck describes the cultural changes in American society over times that, in his opinion, are not for the better. Despite the inevitable changes that occur in a society, Steinbeck feels that the new dependence on technology and the media in  at the time is eliminating localness “by a slow…process.” He also feels that the “speech”, opinion, of Americans “will soon become one speech” as the individuals of society conforms. Steinbeck also mentions the differences in production and the new assembly line process that is soon going to produce “souls.” This implies that Steinbeck is aware of the strength that technology has on society and the advances of the future could be greater than anyone can imagine. The lack of home made bread and traditional values in society, according to Steinbeck, are not ideal.  He also says that what society is losing “is perhaps not worth saving, but…” he agrees that “it’s a loss nevertheless.” Overall, this passage shows that Steinbeck believes the new changes in society in the 1960s are taking into a new age in which we have no “conception of human life and human thought.”

            In my opinion, Steinbeck is completely right when he says that the new technological dependence and development of the media are eliminating tradition and “localness”. In the 1960s there were not as many changes as there are today, but according to Steinbeck he was able to notice those changes. In production, media, and culture, there were obvious changes occurring, especially in Steinbeck’s novel Travels with Charley. For example, when Steinbeck travels to Connecticut he already notices the change in the “wastefulness of Americans” (Steinbeck 22) because of the dependence on packaged items. He also notes a technological change towards instant gratification in the Midwest with the creation of the mobile home. The new invention shows that Americans are becoming more determined to be somewhere else, escaping the tradition of their home-life. In the western region of the county, Steinbeck also recognizes the changes and modernization of the country and recognizes the “destruction” (Steinbeck 181) that progress is making. The ancient Sequoia trees in the California area are Steinbeck’s last hope for the old ways of life.

            The Midwest, West, and Northern areas of America at the time of Steinbeck’s novel, Travels with Charley, are all very unique in the level of change Steinbeck notices in them. In the Midwest, Steinbeck notices the traditional speech and the ability of people who live in the Midwest to talk to complete strangers freely. In other areas, such as the northern cities of New England, most of the people spoke briefly and almost always waited to be approached before talking to someone. In the Midwest the changes in technology are recognized mostly through the use of the mobile home. This shows the new desire that Americans have to leave their “comfort-zone” In the West, Steinbeck is most affected by the changes in society because it is where he grew up. He notes that the “unexpected generosity of a gas station attendant” helped him to change a flat tire quicker. This shows that the attitude of people in the West was still as traditional as the old times.  In the north as well, people were very easy to talk to, although they seemed more politically involved than the other regions of the country.

            Since the time of the novel, there have been many more changes in society in the nation. The regions themselves still remain unique to their people and ways while being small parts of the free nation. America as a whole has become more technologically dependent since the 1960s, with cell phones, television, computers and music. The new age of media is also a very influential part of society today. News programs and the cinema are all that matter nowadays. Because of these advances, the old ways of Americans are almost completely lost.  No longer can you enjoy a night of peace and quiet or a talk with your children. Steinbeck was right when he said that there would be no way for people predict the future of society. We still cannot know what our future will bring.

In the second to last chapter of Part Three, Steinbeck is drawn to the “distortion of normal life” (249) and leaves Texas in search of the so-called "Cheerleaders" (256) who are protesting the integration of black children in a school in New Orleans.  Before reaching the city, Steinbeck welcomes in the “singing language of Acadia” (252) while recalling the memory of an old friend, Dr. St. Martin, who healed children and Cajuns. Upon entering New Orleans, Steinbeck immediately encounters the racism of the South and soon finds that racism was not only towards blacks, but also towards Jews, “ It’s the goddamn New York Jews cause all the trouble” (254). Steinbeck then experiences the “bestial and filthy” 256) show that the Cheerleaders put on while the black children entered school. The applause and praise of the crowd brought Steinbeck to realize that there were no thoughtful people like his old friends Lyle Saxon and Roark Bradford, in the city and that they had “left New Orleans misrepresented to the world” (259). After the incident, Steinbeck no longer desired to visit some of his favorite places, like Gallatoir’s Restaurant, fearing more racially divided ideals. In search of a secluded place, he sits beside the Father of Waters and encounters a man who looks similar to Greco San Pablo. They eat together and talk of Lewis Carroll and the “queer” (261) epithet by Robert John Croswell. After giving a ride to both a wary black man and a racist white man, Steinbeck becomes aware that the Southern people are afraid to change their way of life just as the Cockney children in London were and that they will accept that fear despite the Gandhi inspired works of Martin Luther King.

Discussion Question: Why do you think that the "Cheerleaders" protesting was censored in the media?

 From the article "The Trial of Arthur Miller", I can infer that Steinbeck was a very intelligent and opiniated person. By the way he spoke about the power of Congress,"...Since many parents raise their children badly, mother love could be defined as a danger to the general welfare," it showed that he did not approve of the Congressional power and action in the Nation at that time.  He obviously felt extremely opposed to what the House Un-American Activities Committee was doing to writers and citiizens of the U.S, unneccessarily. Also from the article i could tell that Steinbeck did not agree with many of the decisions that Congress made, "The men in Congress must be conscious of their terrible choice. Their legal right is clearly established, but should they not think of their moral responsibility also?" Apparently, Steinbeck was also mentored by many radical writers and communist party mentors, which could have aided in his opinion of the HUAC and Congressional decisions. He also went through a lot of criticism without an actual investigation concerning the political opinions he expressed.

I think that Steinbeck will probably have the same opinions on America in the novel, Travels With Charley. His opinions might have fluxuated slightly over those three years but i doubt they changed that much. He could have gained more faith and trust in the government and its organizations over that time through passage of laws and various choices.  In the novel, he writes about the many people that he meets and all of the things that he has and will do. I have only come across those few goals of the trip but it could be that Steinbeck was trying to get away from the political activites of the HUAC and Congress. Overall, the article provided great information and the novel, Travels With Charley is probably a reflection of the mind and opinion of Steinbeck at that time.

“…No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property…” (Amendment XIV, Constitution). The Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America states exactly what did not automatically apply to African-Americans like Linda Brown, during the 1950s. At this time in American history, most public education facilities were segregated by law, keeping blacks and whites apart. Although ‘separate but equal’ was the description of African-American education in parts of the country, education for blacks never compared to that of “white” education. Because of this, the case of segregation in schools was brought to the attention of the Supreme Court in 1954 after Linda Browns father sued the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. Combining segregation cases from 3 other states, Brown vs. Board of Education soon forced the court to question the Fourteenth Amendment and the public education system. After a second case, and over a year of deliberating, Brown vs. Board of Education changed the legality of ‘separate-but-equal’ in public education and became the foundation of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s.