This study analyzes Jack Kerouacs writing method of spontaneous prose and articulates how the method can be understood as performative writing. Kerouacs Essentials of Spontaneous Prose, On the Road, Visions of Cody, and Doctor Sax are explored to evaluate both the successes and failures of the authors attempts to break literary boundaries and create a new writing method based upon spontaneous tenets. These three novels, which were written in succession from 1950 to 1953 when Kerouac was in his most productive period, represent both the emergence and dissent of the authors use of performative writing.
To explicate the cultural genesis and dissemination of Kerouacs writing method, the historiographical method of performance genealogy is utilized to address two fictions operating within the larger discourse surrounding Kerouac. First, by focusing on the authors works rather than on his biographical life, this study seeks to contribute to our understanding of Kerouacs status as an author and as a performer of fiction. Second, by focusing on the cultural historicity of his writing method, it is argued that Kerouacs method of spontaneous prose is a much more complicated approach to novelistic discourse than both his earlier critics and some contemporary fans have acknowledged.
By addressing spontaneous prose as a method of performative writing, this study articulates what spontaneous prose is and what it does. To this end, the study tracks the doing of spontaneity over the course of three separate literary performances of the novel. As the genealogical trajectory of the writing method demonstrates, in On the Road Kerouac has only begun to implement the changes he wanted to explore after discovering his literary method. Visions of Cody represents the authors commitment to the writing method, but as its series of literary experiments shows, Kerouac is not yet able to balance his writing method with a sustained approach to narrative story telling. Finally, in Doctor Sax, Kerouac is able to achieve what his two earlier novels had not. That is, a synthesis between the form of invention and the subjects of invention themselves. Implications for performance studies and performative writing are explored.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-05312006-181403 |
| Date | 02 June 2006 |
| Creators | Trudeau, Justin Thomas |
| Contributors | Kirstin Noreen, Patricia Suchy, Elsie Michie, Ruth Laurion Bowman, Michael Bowman |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-05312006-181403/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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