This master's thesis discusses the Beat Generation: its origin, its literary-historical context, and its most important representatives and their works – Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs. Following the analogy with the popular phrase "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" the master's thesis treats some of the most well-known themes of beat literature, namely, sexuality, drugs, and life on the road, as they occur in the "highlights" of Beat literature – in Kerouac’s novel On the road, Ginsberg's poem Howl and in Burroughs's Junky. Beat Generation characterized as a unique cultural phenomenon of its time – especially the 40s and 50s of the 20th century – the popular culture at that time, but later, either directly or indirectly, influenced the burgeoning youth movements. Although it first deserved a rather negative reputation, especially on the basis of many, in the public at that time still taboo subjects (sexuality, taking drugs and spontaneous strolling), in a broader society, one cannot overlook their big contribution to the stylistic increase as well neglect thematic expansion of American (and worldwide) literature.
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