A2 Comparative Coursework

In A2 English Literature I will be comparing 2 texts. 1 from William S. Burroughs and the other from Jack Kerouac. The two texts are arguably the author's most famous and recognised texts. Junk(y) was first published in 1953 by Ace Books and was hideously censored by the publisher, with a number of minor 'corrections' which Burroughs claimed to be 'unwarranted, to blur or completely obscure the original meaning (Letter from William Burroughs to A.A. Wyn [1959]).)

Jack Kerouac was once accosted, by Truman Capote as being a typewriter rather than an author. This is a reflection on how rapidly Kerouac typed his manuscripts, and On The Road is iconic for it's 120 foot long scroll of 125,000 words, Kerouac telling to Neil Cassady (his On The Road pseudonym Dean Moriarty) "went so fast because the road is fast."

The Beat Generation was a particularly appealing time for a new liberal movement in publication. Howl was hugely censored for it's inclusion of subjects on homosexuality, drug use and general 1950s social phobia's. Burroughs being very open about his sexuality lead him to some complicated censoring issues, even On The Road was censored in it's own way by the alteration of characters names rather than the inclusion of it's original content.

Therefore, I will be comparing On The Road: The Original Scroll & Junky (The Definitive Text of Junk). My question being "To what extent are On The Road and Junk spiritual journeys rather than physical ones?" This is because the theme of journey's is hugely apparent in the Beat books, and On The Road has a reputation for being spiritual and insightful to Kerouac's look on life.