American literature of the second half of 20 century

Carver, Raymond

• Carver, Raymond (1939-1988), American writer, best known for his highly readable, intensely absorbing short stories.
• Put Yourself in My Shoes (1974),
• Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? (1976) was Carver’s first commercially successful short-story collection. His other major collections are What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981), Cathedral (1983), and Where I’m Calling From (1988).

The Beat

Generation

Late 1940s-1950s

The Beat Generation

• The phrase "Beat Generation" was invented by Jack Kerouac in 1948.
• The ‘beatness’ Kerouac was describing were not unintelligent or undisciplined men. They were ‘beat’ because they didn't believe in straight jobs and had to struggle to survive on their own.

The term 'beat' has a second meaning: 'beatific' or sacred and holy. Being a Catholic, Kerouac explained that by describing his generation as ‘beat’ he was trying to emphasize the secret holiness of the downtrodden (Dean).

• The term 'beat' has a second meaning: 'beatific' or sacred and holy. Being a Catholic, Kerouac explained that by describing his generation as ‘beat’ he was trying to emphasize the secret holiness of the downtrodden (Dean).
• This is generally the most central theme in Kerouac's work.