Abstract: Jack Kerouac is an American writer of post-war world Ⅱand the representative of the Beat Generation. His renowned novel On the Road, the best known by us, is viewed as a testament of the Beat Generation. It depicts a group of young nonconformists who lived a bohemian and crazy life. These people pursue thrilling life experiences, including sexual freedom, fast car-driving, alcohol and drug abuse etc. Previous studies on the novel focus on thematic study and cultural study which are based on the Beats whereas this paper centers on a new perspective, the theme of American dream commingling with the Beat Generation and discusses its disillusioned conducts and gives reasons why the American dream is broken. And these reasons are analyzed from economic, political and cultural factors which are deemed as contributions to its disillusionment. This paper aims to attract people to pay attention to the reasons which caused broken American dream and its impact so as to give more care for Chinese dream.

  Key words: On the Road; the American dream; disillusionment; economic cause; political cause; cultural cause

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 Jack Kerouac and On the Road-1

1.2 American Dream and the Beat Generation-3

1.3 Literature Review-4

2. Disillusionment of American Dream in On the Road-5

2.1 Drug Addiction and Alcoholism-6

2.2 Sexual Liberation and Nakedness-8

2.3 Drag Race and Pilferage-11

2.4 Hedonism and Vagrant-13

3. The Reasons for Disillusionment of American Dream-15

3.1 Economic Cause-15

3.2 Political Cause-17

3.3 Cultural Cause-18

4. Conclusion-19

References-20