Abstract

On the Road is the autobiographic masterpiece of Jack Kerouac. Once was published in 1957, public opinions towards the novel mixed. However, it is undeniable that the book affected a whole generation of the American people’s way of living. This novel is recognized as the classic of the Hippie Movement in the 1960s, as well as the representative work of the Beat Generation.
 
This is destined to be a book for young people. The author once in the book asked: ...... What’s your road, man?-holy boy road, madman road, rainbow road, guppy road, any road. It’s an anywhere road for anybody anyhow. Where body how? It is the question to all the young people of that generation. This question, with the irresistible temptation, made countless people on the road. Now in the United States, On the Road has become a symbol of freedom. It went through several generations and got a universal significance.

The thesis aims at analysis of the macro cultural and social status revealed from all the details in the novel. The questions such as what changes the American society went through, why the American young people were so obsessed with drugs, Oriental culture and a lift travel during that period will be analyzed in this paper. These sorts of information given by the author will be summarized and the attitude of the Beat Generation represented by Jack Kerouac towards the post World War II US society will be concluded. A brief analysis of why the Beat Generation in the United States will not take place in China will also be made.



Key words: Jack Kerouac, On the Road, the Beat Generation, social status，cultural status

摘        要

《在路上》是凯鲁亚克的自传性代表作，1957年一经问世，舆论哗然，毁誉参半。但不可否认的是，此书影响了整整一代美国人的生活方式，被公认为20世纪60年代嬉皮士运动的经典，也是“垮掉的一代”的代表作品。
这是一本注定属于年轻人的书。作者曾在书中发问：“……你的道路是什么？——乖孩子的路，疯子的路，五彩的路，浪荡子的路，任何的路。到底在什么地方、给什么人，怎么走呢？”这也正是对一代又一代年轻人的提问，它以难以抗拒的诱惑吸引着无数人上路。如今在美国，“在路上”已经成为一种追逐精神自由飞扬的符号，它穿越了几代人，具有了普遍意义。
本篇论文将从那一时期的文化和社会状态入手。那一时期，美国的社会正在经历着怎样的变化，美国的年轻人们为什么会对毒品、东方文化和搭车旅行如此执迷，都将是本篇论文分析的问题。本论文将从小说流露出的方方面面的细节入手，对二战结束后的宏观社会和文化状态进行归类，分析。对当时社会上的种种现象和问题进行剖析和探讨，力求将小说包含的此类信息整理总结，得出以凯鲁亚克为代表的“垮掉的一代”对当时社会状态的看法和意见。同时针对中国的现状对美国“垮掉一代”不可能在中国出现的原因做出简单分析。


关键词：杰克•凯鲁亚克，在路上，垮掉的一代，社会状态，文化状态