This term paper investigates Blakean elements in William S.Burrough’s work "Naked Lunch" and Blake’s influence on the 1950s Beat Movement in the USA.
One of the Beat movement’s main themes is the expansion of human experience and perception. Literature intends to show its recipients, which are considered corrupted by established, commercial media, a considerably liberal attitude.
The Beat movement origins in the USA of the 1950s, a period which was shaped by the expansion of military capacities, isolationism, mass media, post-war circumstances and the threats of the Cold War. Those factors resulted in an emotional state of anxiety, depression and paranoia. In the course of the decade authors intended to constitute a movement against those contemporary circumstances. Thereby, the desire for social, political, sexual and spiritual freedom found expression through unconventional art forms which were considered shocking or even obscene among the American bourgeoise.
For that purpose, the characteristics of the Beat movement will be outlined at the beginning. Subsequently, the author presents a brief insight into Blake’s concept of politics, religion and freedom.
Finally, it will be demonstrated how Blakean ideas contribute to Burroughs’ novel. Thereby, the focus lies on spirituality, repression and sexuality.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Beat Movement
3. William Blake: A Brief Discourse
4. Observations on Naked Lunch
4.1 Spirituality
4.2 Repression
4.3 Sexuality
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Objectives and Research Themes
This paper aims to investigate the presence and influence of Blakean elements within William S. Burroughs' novel Naked Lunch. By establishing a theoretical framework involving the Beat movement's rejection of conventional authority and Blake's mystical concepts, the study explores how Burroughs utilizes surrealist and visionary tropes to critique social and political repression.
- Comparison of Blakean visionary concepts and Burroughs' narrative approach.
- Analysis of individual freedom versus societal and institutional repression.
- Exploration of drug-induced transcendental experiences as a form of consciousness expansion.
- The role of sexuality as a medium for reaching a higher, sublime state of being.
- Examination of the dialectical tension between the physical body and metaphysical awareness.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Spirituality
The title Naked Lunch already suggests a substantial theme Burroughs’ work intends to portray. The author refers to the tittle as follows: I apparently took detailed notes on sickness and delirium. I have no precise memory of writing the notes which have now been published under the title Naked Lunch. The title was suggested by Jack Kerouac. I did not understand what the title meant until my recent recovery. The title means exactly what the words say: NAKED Lunch- a frozen moment when everyone sees what is on the end of every fork. (2015: 199)
It becomes clear that the term “naked” refers to the ability to percept reality in its natural form which can be obtained by the elimination of confusion. That confusion is regarded as a result of artificial, social boundaries. Burroughs challenges contemporary repression by addressing the reader directly and, thereby, confronting him with the excessive use of drugs which the author embeds in a surrealistic narrative (Murphy 2000: 89). By emphasizing the sharp contrast between individual concepts of freedom and social conventions, Burroughs shows the reader “what is on the end of every fork” (2015: 199). Ginsberg argues that the title “relates to nakedness of seeing, to being able to see clearly without any confusing disguises, to see through the disguise” (Ginsberg qtd. in Murphy 89).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the research premise by linking William S. Burroughs' Naked Lunch to the visionary poetic tradition of William Blake.
2. The Beat Movement: Contextualizes the Beat Generation as a subculture arising from the post-war socio-political climate, emphasizing a drive toward total individual liberation.
3. William Blake: A Brief Discourse: Outlines Blake’s philosophical opposition to restrictive religious and political institutions and his belief in the infinite nature of the human subject.
4. Observations on Naked Lunch: Acts as the core analysis where the author draws parallels between Burroughs' text and Blake's mythology, specifically regarding human perception.
4.1 Spirituality: Investigates how the narrator’s drug experiences and visionary states serve as a means to perceive a "naked," uncorrupted reality.
4.2 Repression: Examines how authoritarian systems, exemplified by characters like Dr. Benway, attempt to limit and manipulate the human individual.
4.3 Sexuality: Explores how sexual expression is treated as a conduit to the sublime, mirroring Blake's rejection of artificial moral binaries.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes how both authors advocate for spiritual freedom as an essential resistance against social and individual repression.
6. Bibliography: Lists the primary and secondary sources utilized for this investigation.
Keywords
William S. Burroughs, William Blake, Naked Lunch, Beat Movement, Spirituality, Repression, Sexuality, Visionary Literature, Consciousness Expansion, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Subculture, Surrealism, Individual Freedom, Counterculture, Metaphysical Transition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic paper?
This paper examines the literary intersections between the works of William S. Burroughs, specifically Naked Lunch, and the 18th-century poet and mystic William Blake.
What are the central thematic fields covered in the work?
The core themes include spiritual transcendence, the nature of political and social repression, and the role of sexuality in human experience.
What is the main research question?
The study seeks to demonstrate how Blakean ideas—regarding consciousness, body, and soul—contribute to the conceptual framework of Burroughs' novel.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The paper utilizes a comparative literary analysis, evaluating primary texts of Burroughs and Blake against the cultural context of the Beat movement.
What is covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body breaks down the comparison into three sub-chapters: Spirituality (visionary experience), Repression (authoritarian control), and Sexuality (the sublime).
Which keywords define this research?
Key terms include "Beat Movement," "Visionary Literature," "Consciousness Expansion," and "Blakean elements."
How does the author interpret the phrase "Naked Lunch"?
The author interprets it as a "frozen moment" of absolute clarity, where the observer sees reality stripped of its artificial social disguises.
What role does Dr. Benway play in the analysis of repression?
Dr. Benway is identified as the embodiment of the system that uses manipulation, interrogation, and psychological control to suppress individual development.
How is the relationship between the physical body and the soul portrayed?
Drawing on Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, the paper argues that Burroughs views the body as a "straitjacket" that must be transcended to achieve true spiritual liberation.
Why is sexuality considered a spiritual power in this context?
Both authors are shown to reject the religious restriction of desire, instead regarding sexual and sensual enjoyment as a pathway to reaching a higher state of consciousness.
- Citar trabajo
- Markus Jakob (Autor), 2017, A Blakean Approach to William S. Burroughs’s "Naked Lunch", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/450707
