"The Beat Generation": From Underground to Mainstream

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the beat movement from its emergence within the American culture as a group of middle-class young people, until its immersion into the popular culture of the sixties, this immersion made it an emerging movement that was joined by young people seeking a space to express their concerns and thoughts regarding the Vietnam War and other historical and political events of the time. In this sense, this study presents the characteristics of the beat movement, its repercussions within American society and its literary and musical influences.