On "on The Road" Kerouac Embodied Triple Pursue

As"the chronicler of the Beat Generation or the martyred king of the Beats,"Kerouac (1922-1969) becomes famous primarily for having written the quintessential Beat Generation novel On the Road. On the Road is Jack Kerouac's most influential and disputable work. It is regarded as the Bible of the Beat Generation. The work embodies Kerouac's motif of quest, exploring the experience of life. Its symbolic meaning is fairly obvious-the Beat Generation is never beaten in the spiritual aspect. This thesis mainly explores three quests reflected in On the Road.The thesis consists of five parts: the introduction gives a brief introduction to Jack Kerouac's life and the Beats'life experience on the road. In the following three chapters, the thesis analyzes how the work On the Road embodies Kerouac's physical quest, spiritual quest and stylistic quest.The first chapter focuses on the Beats'physical quest, exploring the contempt the Beat Generation show to the authority, the subversion they make to the tradition, the cult of life experience they advocate, the extreme interests they take in the organic stimulation and enjoyment, and also the experience of getting across the American continent, and the quest for outgoing experience of the road life.The second chapter analyzes the spiritual quest of Kerouac and the Beats. The word"Beat"has rich meanings, from poor, tired, exhausted to the soul to the Beatitude of spirit.On the Road reflects Kerouac and the Beats reading Nietzsche and Zen, seizing the day and living for the present just as Zens. Moreover, they admire Chinese monk Hanshan, creating novels and poems, which display their deeper spiritual quest and rebellion, and express the extreme means for them to release from all kinds of confinements and to pursue freedom and soul. Meanwhile their attempts to search for the image of traditional American father to be the spiritual pillar well illustrate their form of spiritual quest. By writing this work, Kerouac tries to express the Beats'attempt to liberate the self, pursue freedom and get the direct life experience to achieve the state of soul and the Beatitude of the spirit.The third chapter explores how the Spontaneous Prose is embodied in the work. The Spontaneous Prose is a breakthrough and subversion to the traditional writing. This special featured writing aiming to achieve self-expression and direct overflow of feelings very well serves the writer's road life. It is the true reflection of the road life and the Beats'rebellious life style. The Spontaneous Prose has exerted tremendous influence on other Beat Generation writers.In the conclusion, this thesis argues that by discussing the quest motif of this work, what the novel reflects is the physical rebellion, spiritual quest and stylistic exploration. The Beat writers'dedicated all-around quests become the classic for the youth who search for the adventure and try to escape from confinement and tradition to have their voice heard after the Second World War. From Kerouac's novel, we could feel the youth's efforts they make to continue their pursuing and adventuring after the war. The Beat Generation movement is the voice of the American youth at that time, and opens up a new epoch of the American literature and American culture.