Study on the Rebelliousness and Hesitation of Youth in American and Britain in 20th Century：
Taking On the Road and Trainspotting for Example

Abstract

On the Road is a novel written by Jack Kerouac, the core member of Beat Generation, in 1957. On the Road is an autobiographical novel, which is treated as a classic creation of the hippie movement and Beat Generation in 1960s. Trainspotting is a masterpiece of the Scottish writer Irvine Welsh, which shows the controversial value and self-consciousness held by young people.

A special group of young people appeared in the United States and Britain in the 20th century. Those young men opposed the constraints of secular society, loathed the pursuit of material thing, disobeyed the rules of traditional society, and fought against the mainstream culture. The heroes of On the Road and Trainspotting drift away from the mainstream culture; they are often not recognized by the society.

This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter one is the introduction of the background where the two novels were born and the research purpose. Chapter two is the literature review of the two novels. Chapter three analyses the representations of rebelliousness and hesitation of the roles in two novels, and analyzes the reasons why the young men hold the attitude of rebelliousness and hesitation. Chapter four briefly describes the self-atonement of the characters. Chapter five draws a conclusion based on the discussion.

Keywords：On the Road, Trainspotting, the Beat Generation, Rebelliousness, Hesitation