The Style and Times of Jack Kerouac Essay Example

and ultimately chose to accept the one from Columbia University. Throughout his initial year at college, he attended Horace Mann School for Boys, which is a preparatory institution.

Jack, a student who attended a prestigious preparatory school, felt disconnected from his classmates and dropped out of Columbia University after two years. He preferred learning outside of the traditional classroom setting. Additionally, Jack had an argument with the football coach and quit the team, leading to the loss of his scholarship. After leaving college, he joined the navy but found the strict and demoralizing military environment unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Consequently, he pretended to be mentally unstable in order to escape military discipline. Despite multiple unsuccessful attempts, Jack eventually convinced a doctor that he was incapable of following military regulations and was released from service.

Following his honorable discharge for "indifferent character" (Dittman 18), he subsequently joined the Merchant Marine upon returning home. The Merchant Marine proved to be a more liberal environment compared to the navy. Among Kerouac's closest circle of friends were Allen Ginsberg, John Clellon Holmes, Neal Cassidy, and William S. Burroughs, three of whom were also authors. Balancing his relationships with both his friends and family became a challenge, as his family held strong disapproval towards his chosen companions.

During their cross-country trips, Kerouac and Cassidy were exploring the American country, which served as the inspiration for Kerouac's writing of On the Road. Although Jack and Neal's time on the road was limited to three weeks, it took Jack over seven years to write and publish the book (Maher 111). It was during these road trips that Kerouac discovered various literary differences that would revolutionize the

American Novel. One significant insight he had was in developing a sketching style of writing, which was inspired by the fast tempo music of Bebop. Jack incorporated this style into his novels by writing on the spot.

According to Clark (102), Kerouac considered his sketching style of writing to be the moment when he discovered his soul. He would use this style by either writing on the spot or from memory. In his novels, he incorporated this style through the creation of different levels of reality and dreams, extraordinary and ordinary feats, as well as poetry and narrative writing. This was the only method of writing that Kerouac knew.

The year after the publication of On the Road, Kerouac faced financial difficulties. To help him out, Neal Cassidy arranged for him to work as a brakeman at the Southern Pacific railroad (Dittman 49). It was during the long journeys along the railroad that Jack developed his second variation of his writing style.

Jack Kerouac was known for his skill in speed writing. His friend John Clellon Holmes described him as a remarkable typist, excelling in both speed and accuracy (Maher 201). Kerouac had the ability to close his eyes and rapidly transcribe his thoughts onto the keyboard. The solitude resulting from his railroad job and writing combined led him to produce detached yet beautiful prose, reminiscent of Dickinson's style.

A comparison can be made between Kerouac's early work, On the Road, and his later works such as The Dharma Bums and Big Sur. This comparison reveals a shift in focus where he becomes more introspective and centers his writing around himself instead of using his surroundings

for inspiration to escape loneliness. This change occurred after finishing the writing of On the Road but before its publication when Kerouac developed his spontaneous writing style. Additionally, he immersed himself in New York City's underground culture where he indulged in excessive use of heroin, amphetamines, marijuana, and alcohol. It was during one of his experiences under the influence of Benzedrine that he wrote The Subterranean, a short novel.

Jack Kerouac's 111-page short novel about his brief love affair was written in only three days (Dittman 55). The release of On the Road in 1957 immediately made him infamous among American youth culture, causing publishing houses that had previously rejected his works to now seek his attention. Overwhelmed by sudden fame, he decided to hide from the public out of fear. After six months, he moved to New Point, New York where he cared for his mother and sought shelter from the threats resulting from his newfound notoriety. For the next ten years, he lived with and took care of his mother until he died from an internal hemorrhage. Jack Kerouac possessed a unique prose writing style that emitted a distinct flair.

Jack Kerouac's writing style was known for its spontaneous and instinctive approach, free from excessive contemplation. He relied on his natural storytelling ability, enabling the words to effortlessly come to him. This innate talent established him as a highly acclaimed American writer during his era.