The Beat Generation: Diskursanalys av identitetskonstruktionen bakom begreppet Beatnik i sex amerikanska tidskrifter 1957-1961

Abstract

This masters thesis looks at the reception of the beat generation in six given American magazines spanning through the years 1957-1961. The study is basically one of literaty reception. The aim is to see how and if the institution of literature handed the beat generation an identity to go along with their arts. With the use of discourse analysis we have pointed out certain characteristics in the six articles that have been a part of building up an image of the beat generation as a whole. By dividing the result into the two categories social and literary practice we can clearer see what significants were used to create the beat generation. There could be seen a pattern consisting of looking at the beats as young and untamed. There where however differences in the way they were handled by different magazines. Our viewpoint is one of sociology of literature and we have chosen to do a contextualisation of our analysis scanning the society, the earlier American literature and of course a closer look at the beat generation themselves. The beat generation in this masters thesis is represented by Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, although more names can be added to the beat movement.