Jack Kerouac, the king of beats, was the first to use the term "beat," and included the definition of "upbeat," "beatific," and "on the beat." He attended Columbia University because of a football scholorship. He dropped out of school to join the U.S. Navy and fight in World War II. Because he was so disobedient and refused any type of disipline, Kerouac was discharged from the Navy. With many disappointments and torments Kerouac began writing his first novel, which was about his struggle of deciding between old-family values or wild-city life. Although this book was published, it did not make him famous. It would take a few years before Kerouac had another work of literature published. He spent many years traveling with his friend Neal Cassady, who was also a writer of the beat generation. After seven years, his book On the Road, which was about his many wild trips with Cassady, became published. Kerouac became the first beat writer to become nationally known, but his fame was costly. His book showed such a wild side, and being under so much pressure trying to live up to the expectations, he became an alcoholic. From then on his life and career went down hill. Kerouac did keep publishing, but most of his works were things he had written before fame. Eventually, his health deteriorated from all the alcohal he consumed, and died at the age of 47 in 1969. I think that Jack Kerouac did accomplish something throughout his disobediant life. This man showed perseverance and never gave up on what he believed in. By doing that he accomplished his goal of stopping the conformity of American society.
-Carla Mendoza
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