Aspects of Ecology in the Select Literary works of American Beats: An Investigation

Abstract

The literary products of the Beats reflect the companionship between humans and animals. Beat novelists and poets project the elements of compassion for the species and the inanimate things through their eco-sensible prose and poetry Gary Snyder, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti are very famous literary figures of the Beat Generation. All of these Beats have raised their protest against the war and the social industrialization or establishment which was seen in America and in the other parts of the world. Beats have full appreciation for the oriental countries and their love is manifested in their novels and poems. Beat writers have given a new shape to their literary works by the inclusion of the views and ideas which pertain to spirituality and religion; they posit their faith in the religious function of literature for achieving social and environmental harmony. Beats incorporate visions and dreams in their works and establish themselves as the seekers of reality and truth. This paper attempts to explore Gary Snyder, Jack Kerouac and Ferlinghetti’s ecological consciousness through their select works and also how and in what sense they highlight the grave issues of the global ecology and provide the humanity the solutions in this regard.