Ginsberg's Relationship With America

"It occurs to me that I am America.
I am talking to myself again."

-Allen Ginsberg, "America" (41)



            In Ginsberg's poem entitled "America", he addresses our nation both in questioning disbelief and blunt confession. Ginsberg uses the technique of coming off as an unsuspecting writer with little intent greater than asserting his thoughts. Regardless of this technique, in reading Ginsberg's work, one is generally aware that there is strategy in turning the mind of the reader.

            The poem best reflects Ginsberg's confusion in the post-war American society. In the midst of the black-and-white view of McCarthyism, Ginsberg finds himself pressed to decide between his communist Russian roots and capitalist America. Throughout the poem, it is evident that Ginsberg is not ready to choose either. However, he is quick to direct the blame. A continually arising conflict within the beats generation is the consideration of patriotism, and if not patriotism, then what mainstream America would consider to be anarchy or madness. I do not believe Ginsberg sought to be either.

            In one line, Ginsberg mentions reassuringly, "My psychoanalyst thinks I'm perfectly right" (40). One could either assume that simply by writing this poem, Ginsberg is admitting to not being perfectly right, or that America not being perfectly right. With his consistent cynicism toward America throughout the poem, I would assume the latter. For the purposes of irony and deeper consideration, Ginsberg addresses his country, himself, and the reader, conjoining and contrasting each. In doing this, he first pulls the reader in as if to say "hey, you're a part of this, too".

"I'm addressing you.
Are you going to let your emotional life be run by
            Time Magazine?" (40)
           
            With the inclusion of a seemingly guiltless act, Ginsberg catches the reader red-handed, grouping he or she with America, and therefore handing the reader some of the blame. Being an American citizen and participating in American cultural norms is enough, in Ginsberg's opinion, to be deserving of responsibility and blame for America. Ginsberg does not ignore the fact that he is an American citizen himself.

            On page 41, in which Ginsberg personifies America as himself, he becomes most sarcastic in pondering war and national resources. While he is considering himself as a representative of America, he is also distancing himself from it more than ever.

"My national resources consist of two joints of
marijuana millions of genitals an unpublishable
private literature that goes 1400 miles an hour
and twenty-five-thousand mental institutions." (41)

            Here is the point at which Ginsberg is truly striking below the belt for America in mentioning all of the unmentionables, or so according to American societal norms of the time. Ginsberg is begging not to have to make that choice between madness and the upstanding clay model that represented capitalism. Rather, he points out that America as mainstream society chooses to view it, is far from just. Ginsberg is imploring that there be change, he must present their guilt in the most blunt and hideous fashion. By pulling himself, the reader, and their country together in blame, Ginsberg strategizes his way out of making the decision in which America is pressing him to make.

Investigating Carl Solomon from Ginsberg's "Howl"

            In Ginsberg's poem, Howl, the speaker explains a new perspective, one which represents the "best minds of [his] generation" to be among the homeless, the lawless, and those deemed insane by society. Ginsberg's poem is dedicated to one of those minds: Carl Solomon.

            Although it was Solomon who deemed himself insane by admitting himself into a psychiatric clinic in final rejection of the Dada movement which he once indulged in, Ginsberg saw the genius in him and took an interest. Despite that Solomon was not a frequent writer during their early friendship, Ginsberg took literary advice, as well as general advice, from Solomon. Ginsberg was not only attracted to Solomon's experience with artistic movements such as Dada, but also Solomon's mental condition in the views of society and culture.

            Ginsberg was not the only author of his time to take an interest in a less accomplished and less rational character to influence his works. Jack Kerouac attempted to keep close ties with Neal Cassady, who kept Kerouac on his toes, and gave him enough inspiration to produce (or involve Cassady's character in) several works. William Burroughs could often be found with his thieving street smart pal, Herbert Huncke. These friends of great Beat Generation writers pumped the raw America that the writers sought out. The unknown forbidden fruit of America appeared to these authors in the mentally deranged, wild characters and their unpredictable lifestyles.

            Solomon personally experienced the ugliest corners of the American system by being institutionalized and exposed to traumatic events such as shock therapy to overcome his depression. Solomon's experience with shock therapy helped to form the view that American society often excuses genius for madness, which is a major theme in Howl.

            In Howl, Ginsberg refers to Solomon in the words: "... who threw potato salad at CCNY lecturers on Dadaism and subsequently presented themselves on the granite steps of the madhouse with shaven heads and harlequin speech of suicide, demanding instantaneous lobotomy."

Carl Solomon and Allen Ginsberg, 1991

 

            Ginsberg's interest in Solomon's involvement with the Dada movement as well as with his mental illness are evident in these lines. Despite Ginsberg being two years older than Solomon, his education on American society from Solomon's experiences is clear. Although Ginsberg considers Solomon to be among the best minds of their generation, Solomon has clearly been brutalized by the views of American society. Ginsberg does not make it fully evident whether these effects of America act positively or negatively on these great minds. However, he does point out that common American society is the villain.

            However unfortunate Solomon's treatment was, it intrigued Ginsberg and they became longtime friends. The final reference to Solomon is the line, "I'll see you in Rockland," in which Ginsberg refers to the psychiatric clinic at which the two first met.

Not The Journey, But The Destination

            In Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, Jack is constantly seeking satisfaction as an American citizen, as well as in his own general existence, during a post-war American society. Jack seems to place all of his bets on finding this satisfaction through his travels across the country, as well as in his friend, Neal Cassady. However, I have noticed in reading the book so far that Kerouac loses most of these bets and yet, he continues on his journey, still holding his faith in his idolized friend. This week, I will primarily consider Kerouac’s gripping faith in his country, represented in his travels.

            With the view of each town in the rearview mirror, Kerouac leaves the reader with a gloomy opinion of the location and the people. Despite that Kerouac places his faith on the American road, he seems to be repeatedly disappointed with its reality. He also commonly relates each location back to his starting point of New York.

            When Kerouac visits Los Angeles, he looks out from the view of his hotel window and sees what he claims to be “the loneliest and most brutal of American cities,” and while he admits that similar could likely be said for New York, he believes there is at least some camaraderie there, while Los Angeles is completely lacking in it. Therefore, Kerouac dubs Los Angeles to be “a jungle” (86). In New Orleans, Kerouac compares the people of New York to those of New Orleans, commenting that they are both alike in that “they stand uncertainly underneath immense skies, and everything about them is drowned” (166). In this portion of the book, Kerouac admits to being tired of traveling and despite this, they continue onward.

            Throughout the book, one will see this consistently negative outlook on the cities in which Kerouac visits. These views are always created while Kerouac is in the city, or as he is leaving. However, while imagining the next destination, Kerouac pictures brilliant scenes and wild adventures. While he does experience the latter often, Kerouac tends to find himself in a depressive state when not in a risky situation. In each town between the starting point and the destination, town locals admit to having found their own satisfaction in their residence. Despite their advice to stop and enjoy the current view, Kerouac continues to set his dreams down the road, constantly idealizing his future destinations.

            While traveling through the plains of Iowa, Kerouac is dreaming of the destinations that await him: “Now I could see Denver looming ahead of me like the Promised Land… and I could see the greater vision of San Francisco beyond, like jewels in the night” (14). Kerouac is continually focused on the destination, counting down the miles to each. These tendencies reveal the true state of Kerouac’s generation. Because they are so set on not being a “Lost Generation” as Americans were considered after World War I, Kerouac finds himself in a generation which is seeking something. In that something, they will be satisfied as not being lost. However, in not being sure of what that something is, I believe they may never find it.