Date of Graduation
Spring 2016
Degree
Master of Arts in English
Department
English
Committee Chair
Matthew Calihman
Abstract
Neal Cassady has not been given enough credit for his role in the Beat Generation. This paper discusses Cassady's importance on the life and work of Jack Kerouac, especially focusing on his most famous novel, On the Road. Cassady lent himself as the hero of On the Road and supplied Kerouac with the spontaneous prose style that made him famous. This look at Cassady puts him into the context of the time period in which he lived and in which On the Road was written. Cassady is compared to the ideal American male of the day and those traits are used to show the success of his character Dean Moriarty. This paper shows just how important Cassady was in the development of On the Road as well as in a new era in American history.
Keywords
Neal Cassady, Jack Kerouac, On the Road, Beat Generation, America, 1950s
Subject Categories
English Language and Literature
Copyright
© Sydney Anders Ingram
Recommended Citation
Ingram, Sydney Anders, "The Need For Neal: The Importance Of Neal Cassady In The Work Of Jack Kerouac" (2016). MSU Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 2368.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/2368
