The Analysis of the Social Origin for the death of subject in Allen Ginsberg’s Howl through the Cultural turn of Fredric Jameson
Abstract
The post-modernist creations after World War Two were always argumentative. The beats generation such like Allen Ginsberg who sparked ideas but lost in the chaotic social order at the same time during this post-war period, which trigger the exploration of the subjectivity in their works. Based on the claim in Jameson’s theory the cultural turn, Allen Ginsberg and his generation was in a situation of death of subject which only call for the common social utopia but ignore the individualistic sense. Under this framework, this essay discusses the origins of the death of subject in Allen Ginsberg’s Howl by examining the impact of technology and industrial revolution as well as the chaotic social order of consumer society after WWII. It is clear that death of subject existed in the Howl due to multiple factors of pressures of society, but his work is still remarkable literary creation with strong personal style especially in terms of emotional expression.
References
- Jancovich, M. The Cultural Politics of the New Criticism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-41652-3 (1993). Google scholar. 17 June 2022. Web.
- Raskin, J. "Poetickall Bombshell." American Scream: Allen Ginsberg's Howl and the Making of the Beat Generation. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004. Print.
- Ozan, S. “The Beat Generation in Social Cultural Context”. Transactions on Education and Social Sciences 2.14-18 (2014): 5. Research Gate. 12 July 2022. Web.
- Fredric, J. “The Culture turn”. Verso 1. ISBN1859848761 (1998): 6. Google scholar. 17 June 2022. Web.
- Ginsberg, A. Howl, and other Poems. San Francisco: City Lights Pocket Bookshop, 1956. Lines 205- 2013. Print.
- Reisman, R.C. "Allen Ginsberg." Critical Survey of Poetry: Beat Poets: Salem Press, 17 June 2022. Web.
- James, P.S. “The Effects of World War II on Economic and Health Outcomes across Europe”. RAND 2. R24HD050906 (2012): 15. Google. 12 July 2022. Web.
- Sheeba, S. “Postmodern literature: Practices and Theory”. Social Sciences and Humanities 4.IS2100057 (2017): 4. Research Gate. 12 July 2022. Web.
- Lawlor, W. Beat Culture Lifestyles, Icons, and Impact. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2005.Google scholar. 17 June 2022. Web.
- Nicolas, D. “Beat Generation and Postmodernism: Deconstructing the Narratives of America”. International literature collection 2.10623272 (2015): 4. Google. 17 July 2022. Web.