Time period and socio-economic reality
(Mégane) Knowing the author of a book is of great help to have a deeper understanding of the story. On the Road proves that point: learning about Jack Kerouac and his journey to writing the novel allows the reader to read with a different mindset than someone that doesn't have knowledge about the author. You can read a comprehensive biography of Kerouac by clicking here. Of course, something else can be useful and interesting to learn before immersing oneself in On the Road. It's the socioeconomic reality and time period in which the tale was written. Keep reading to discover more about that.
Socio-economic context (Mégane)
Even nowadays, On the Road is considered great literature and deemed well-written enough to be read in multiple schools. One of the interesting aspects of the book that makes it worth the read from an educational point of view is the context in which it was written. Post-World War II, the original manuscript was created in the late forties, although published almost a decade later. Very reflective of the American culture of the time, On the Road, was literally written on the roads and in major cities of the United States such as New York, as Kerouac himself embarked on many cross-country trips. The American landscape was beginning to change, to evolve, and was mostly composed of contrasts: the city versus the suburbs and the countryside, of course, but also poverty versus wealth. As some may know, that time period was characterized by economic prosperity for lots of Americans. It’s even known as the golden age of capitalism, which was also denoted by an increased conformism in society. That did not please everyone, including youngsters who would later begin the Beat Movement. The flourishing economy of the moment made people realize that there were social problems to be solved, which led to, amongst others, the fight for gender and race equality. Those beliefs encouraged the creative changes and the dynamism of the post-war years. One thing that helped the economy of the time is the G.I Bill, also known as the Serviceman readjustment act of 1944. That bill was created to assist World War II soldiers as they were returning to America, which allowed the prosperity and development of the middle-class and workforce. Although lots lived in comfort, there continued to be a significant portion of the American society that grew up in poverty. Another important social aspect of that time period is the Baby Boom, a post-war phenomenon of which we often hear about. The births represent the new hopes and the optimism of the post-war generation. The socio-economic influences on the book are quite easy to observe as Jack Kerouac perfectly accomplished writing facts and reality into a compelling story.
Important makers of the late 1940s (Xavier)
The mesmerizing book On the Road was written in 1951 but tells the life of the author in the late 1940s. It was the postwar period after World War II (1939-1945). After the United States won the global war, the american economy was extremely prosperous. The veterans were coming back to their homeland and the families were celebrating the exciting victory. However, a strong tension was palpable everywhere in the U-S because of the new nuclear weapons. Also, in 1947, the beginning of the terrible Cold War just added to the anxiety of the Americans. This war of ideologies between the Soviets and the Allies was a serious threat against democracy and freedom. People were boundlessly terrified. Moreover, at this time, some values were deeply encrusted in society. These values revolved a lot around family. In this conservative mentality, the men had to work hard to provide the needs of their family and the women had to dedicate their lives to clean, cook and educate their children. On the other hand, many people were getting tired of those social norms especially the youth generation. It is in this momentum for change that the Beat movement was created by a group of writers such as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, and Neal Cassady. The group of marginalized didn’t believe at all in the society they were living in. Their philosophy revolved around the exploration of drugs, jazz, sex, etc. Even if people didn’t agree with all their ideas, the Beat Movement influenced the way people were thinking. Americans started to question the world they lived in. They began to put aside the normal standards. It was the beginning of a literary and cultural movement that drastically changed America... The marvelous novel On the Road gave a voice to the vibrant youth generation.
The Cold War (1947-1991) (Xavier)
For more information on the war:
Daily life in the 40s (Daphnée)
The book titled On the Road takes place in the late 1940s. The life back in the days, was, on many levels, different from the one we live right now. First of all, most kids, back in the days, stopped going to school way earlier than the kids from nowadays. They had to start working at around 14 years old to help their parents provide for their families. They considered that working was more important than education in a school. They considered work was a place where you learned real life. It was the complete opposite of what society promotes today. We are in an era where we want to always be on the go doing activities with our friends or families. At the time, people didn’t have money to go to the cinema or to do activities like that. They would play games with their family in their free time. Things were much more complicated back then, without the help of the technology we have today. A lot of chores were done by hand without the help of any machine. Something that changed with time is the importance of women in the labour market. It is very common, now, for women to have a career and work out of the house. Contrary to when, in the late 40s, women would stay home to do chores and take care of the kids while the husband would work. We consume way much more than people used to back then. In the late 40s, when you bought something, it was to keep it for a long time and make use out of it.
Links between the context and the book (Derek)
The book is a great way to understand how life was in the 19s when they didn't have all the technology we possess nowadays. One of the factors that lead to the success of the book On the Road was the fact that Jack Kerouac wrote the book in a matter that kept it real. It's not just facts in a book, it's what life was like for him and his peers.
Carolyn Cassady’s photograph of Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac on the cover of the novel.
The book is written in a way that makes you want to spend time with Kerouac because he has this unique ability to transform the dull into the extraordinary. The crazy part is that he wrote the book in only 3 weeks, but the book took 7 years to publish! He couldn't even publish the book with the real names of his friends because of the objections of his early publishers.
The author and his friends loved to do crazy things and live life in the present. This created a new way of writing which is full of energy. It connected with people during this time because most people were just working and not enjoying life contrary to Kerouac and his friends who like to make spontaneous decisions and to travel anywhere without any plans. The book is about all future sacrifices and living in the moment. We can also compare his writing style to the impressionist painters who sought to create art through direct observation.
All of this contributed to the making of the Beat movement which is all about freedom and equality. On the road was part of that, it inspired many authors to fight for freedom of expression, censorship and the development of arts, including jazz and writing. But most importantly, On the Road made people want to differ from normalities and the norms of society.
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