So I'm reading Jack Kerouac's 1st novel written in 1942 (and the book he never let be published in his lifetime) "The Sea is My Brother."
I understand why he never let it be published, well at least I understand his stated reasons why; It was "a crock [of shit] as literature", I think is what he called it!
BUT being the political animal that I am, admittedly to the dismay of nearly everyone who knows me!, I think the true reason is that he was EMBARRASSED maybe even ASHAMED that his HIP GENERATION of 1942 was PRO-COMMUNIST and VIRULENTLY ANTI-FASCIST without the HISTORICAL EVIDENCE as of yet, that BOTH IDEOLOGIES where different sides of the same coin!
BOTH IDEOLOGIES ARE ROOTED IN TOTALITARIAN OPPRESSIVE REGIMES WHO SAY THEY CHAMPION THE COLLECTIVE'S RIGHTS, ALL THE WHILE THEY DEPRIVE THE INDIVIDUAL HIS RIGHTS!
AN IDEOLOGY WHEREIN THE INDIVIDUAL SACRIFICES HERSELF FOR THE GOOD OF THE MANY!
In other words KEROUAC intuitively understood the EVILS of both COMMUNISM and FASCISM!
MY THEORY IS, BY 1947 WHEN HE WAS WRITING HIS SEMINAL WORK "ON THE ROAD" (which I loved) and created the "BEAT" MOVEMENT, he was DISILLUSIONED WITH BOTH IDEOLOGIES AND LIKE MANY of the POST WWII GENERATION, HE WAS JUST CHECKING OUT OF POLITICS!
HE TURNED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, TO HER FREEDOMS, WITH ALL HER FAULTS AND ALL HER GLORY!
HE CHAMPIONED THE REBEL ROUSTING ABOUTING AMERICA, FREE TO FAIL AND FREE TO SUCCEED!
Feel free to disagree with me!
POSTSCRIPT:
Listen around 19:03!
Kerouac was the Rebel to the end!
(it was his alcoholism that killed him)!
I rest my case!
https://youtu.be/oaBnIzY3R00
