The Howl on Trial, Essay Example

In one of the courtroom scenes in the film version of Howl, it is made clear that in order to understand the poem, you must understand its context. A word or a phrase in the poem might seem out of reach, but when it is considered in the context of the poem as a whole, and in the context of the generation as a whole, the overall intention becomes (more) clear. Based on your close reading of “This is the Beat Generation”, by John Clellon Holmes, and drawing upon evidence from the text of this essay, explain in your own words, what is the Beat Generation? 200-300 words – include word count below. (3)

The Beat Generation described by Holmes is the one that wants to break up with the old rules. People who went to work or college after the war did not want to be a part of the world that created the misery that is called World War Two. They are optimistic and believe in starting again. To understand the meaning of “beat”, according to the author of the essay, one needs to know the historical context. In the case of “Beat generation”, the writer argues that the name refers to “the feeling of having been used”. The culture of the beat generation is defined by the early experiences of the young people living after the war. Because of the war, they do not trust collectivism, and in order to express their individualism, they need eccentricity and bohemianism. They experienced struggle, death of people close to them, and uncertainty. They do not trust the government, so they can only trust themselves. They are about to reinvent the meaning of life, in the midst of the Cold War. The people of the Beat Generation are full of ambition, but reject the rules. They embark on a road towards self-discovery, and use illegal substances, promiscuity, and other means to get closer to their own substance. They are not necessarily rebels, but explorers: trying to find the meaning of life after the tragedy of the War. Moreover, they are disappointed in organization, and do not think it is necessary to achieve the greater good. The organization of military forces only led to war, the organization of religion led to restriction of thoughts. The Beat Generation wants to live, act, and think freely, without restriction by parents, politicians, educators, or religious bodies.

Part 1 of Allen Ginsberg’s poem, Howl defines “Who” are the best minds of Ginsberg’s generation. Working directly with the text of Part 1 of Howl, explain in your own words, who are the best minds? What are they like? What do they do? To answer this question, you need to understand the big picture of Part 1, not just the detailed, line-by-line descriptions. 300-400 words – include word count below. (4)

The Best minds of Ginsberg’s generation are actively seeking experiences. They are the risk-takers. They go out there, are open to everything. They are intellectuals, but they do not fit in the old order. They do not fit in the traditional educational system, and are often expelled or drop out of college. The generation does not assign anything with superior status: neither government, God, or money. They reject authority, as it led their country to war. They burn their money and protest against capitalism. They actively promote peace and oppose oppression. They want to see what is out there: feel, sense, hear, and touch. They consider their dreams and imagination to be a part of the truth. They, indeed, do not want to be told what the truth is. They do not fit in the society that is built on old values. They end up in unemployment offices, and become expelled from colleges. They enjoy what is not supposed to be enjoyed. Going out there brave, the generation of Ginsberg is not afraid of authority, the government, or pain. The only thing they are afraid of is losing the freedom of expressing themselves. They stroll the dark “negro” streets of America, as they are not a part of the mainstream society. They do not want to be acceptable, or decent. They want to experience suffering through Jazz, sex, and drugs, and create their own reality. They absorb knowledge, but look at it with critical eyes. They do not take anything for granted. The Beat generation is disappointed in society. However, it is not necessarily decadent. The “intelligent” people seek answers in everything they encounter: the trees, the streets, children’s eyes, even extreme sexual experiences. They are nonconformist, and do not dress, behave, live, and think in a way that it is expected of them. They do not rebel, though. They simply create and recreate experiences. They do not dress how other people do. They do not read what they are supposed to read in college. They do not write what is expected of them. They do not judge African American people, and find them beautiful. They accept homosexuality, alcohol, and drugs. While they seem to be going against the tide, they are indeed going ahead of their time, seeking experiences that prepare them for the future. They travel to new places and explore new dimensions of existence.

Moloch has roots in the Old Testament of the Bible as a deity to whom adults sacrifice their children. A version of Moloch is portrayed in Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film, Metropolis. Ginsberg, under the influence of peyote, saw a vision of Moloch in the architecture of San Francisco’s St. Francis Hotel. He then put his vision to paper in Part 2 of Howl, expressing Moloch in relation to modern-day (1955-56) society. Working directly with the text of Part 2 of Howl, in your own words, explain what is Ginsberg’s Moloch, and how did Moloch destroy the best minds of Ginsberg’s generation. To answer this question, you need to understand the big picture of Part 2, not just the detailed, line-by-line descriptions. 300-400 words – include word count below. (4)

Moloch is not clearly defined in Part 2 of the poem, however, some characteristics assigned to it by the author are visible. Moloch as an idea or imagined person can be a person, an idea, or a society. It is more than likely to be the social and political order that restricts the individual’s freedom. In that term, it can be capitalism (references to electricity and banks), or the crowd that does what is expected of it. It can be the people who accept the order, take laws and social norms for granted. It can be injustice or judgment. It is everything that is inhuman in the world: “Lacklove and manless in Moloch”. The author also references Moloch as a sexless creature: in that term, it is a creature or trend that requires endless sacrifice. Moloch, on the other hand, is something that is based on rules and automation, and lacks any type of humanity. It is everything that is taking away people’s freedom and humanity. The war, the industry that eliminates human element of production, apartment buildings that are promoting uniformity, and bombs that take away lives. It is the buzzing city where nobody notices the other person, where no attention is paid to details, and nothing is random. The Best Minds live in the shadow of Moloch, and they are able to escape from the influence. Just like the author himself, who states that he broke free from. In that sense, Part 2 is a call for nonconformism, for individuality, and showing the way how to escape from the influence of Moloch: war, imperialism, capitalism, industrialism, profit-orientation, statistics, and production. The Great Minds of the Beat generation know that feeling and experiencing has a greater worth than being productive and becoming a screw in the machine. Moloch is slavery: the restriction of the mind. Something that can be considered the enemy of the Great Minds of  Ginsberg’s generation. Compared with the Moloch of the movie “Metropolis”, Ginsberg’s creature is more active and fierce. In the Moloch clip of Metropolis , calculated movements and rules, emotionless robots and thoughtless people represent Moloch. Ginsberg, however, goes further than this, and associates the creature with war and the atomic bomb.  It turns individuals into slaves of ideas, profit, or religion. It is a huge forge that melts all people into a homogenous mass.

Working directly with the text of Part 3 of Howl, in your own words, explain what is the point of Part 3 of Howl? Why is it important in our understanding of the poem as a whole? 100-200 words – include word count below. (2)

The main point of Part 3 of Howl is to determine the addressee and the audience of the work. It is directly addressed to Carl Solomon, to whom the author dedicated the work to. Ginsberg calls out “I’m with you in Rockland”, repeatedly, referring to a mental hospital where his friend was admitted to. The main message of the part is to show understanding, solidarity, and empathy towards those who are troubled because of their labels of “not fitting in”. Solomon in the mental hospital is the representation of the entire generation that is unable to cope with the dehumanization of the society. The reference to the Internationale clearly addresses solidarity and humanity. The part reflects on the broken society of the West, where people are thought to become sane again if they are disconnected from their mind through electroshock therapy. A place where humanity is considered to be an illness. People wake up “electrified out of the coma”. Again, machines are used to eliminate non-standard and nonconformist elements of the society. Finally, Ginsberg predicts an eternal war between the standardized world of Moloch and the free thinkers.

Working directly with the text of the Footnote to Howl, in your own words, explain how the Footnote to Howl serves as a possible solution to the destruction of the best minds of Ginsberg’s generation? 200-300 words – include word count below. (3)

Using the world “Holy” in the beginning of the Footnote does not only provide the poem with a rhythm resembling jazz, but also refers to the Hebrew Kadesh structure in scriptures representing sacredness.  The humankind and humanity are holy and sacred, therefore, they are superior to the Moloch. The author uses the same structure as the Hebrew scripts: listing different features, stating that the soul, the nose, and the skin are holy. Still, he goes further and considers everything related to people and individuals holy. Creating strange comparisons, he states that “The bum’s as holy as the seraphim”.

Hem, however, goes further than that, and calls places, experiences, and objects holy, as well. The high point of the part is when he calls the Angel in Moloch holy. He recalls miracles and visions, hallucinations, and suffering, and by calling them holy, he gives them a meaning and a worth. Referring back to the “Great Minds” of his generation, Ginsberg states that intelligence, humanity, forgiveness, and the “kindness of the soul” are the holiest things and those that can be used to overcome the fear and oppression created by Moloch. Mercy and charity in this context represent humanity. Therefore, the main aim of the Footnote is to provide the reader with a solution on how to overcome the restrictions of the society, political, religious, and economic system. Remaining human and celebrating humanity is the solution offered by Ginsberg to all people who face the same miseries as the Beat Generation. The Footnote positions the poem in the society and the age, giving it a supportive context. It reflects on the problems (capitalism, loss of relationships and stimulation, individuality) highlighted by the three parts of the poem, and proposes a general method of overcoming the maddening issues of the society.

Looking at pages 197-199 of Howl on Trial: The Battle for Free Expression, as well as the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and considering Howl as a whole, do you agree with Judge Horn’s decision in the Howl obscenity trial? Why or why not? (I recommend you look up the First Amendment to the US. Constitution in order to answer this question.) 300-400 words – include word count below. (4)

Based on the First Amendment’s principles of the government’s non-interference, I agree with the decision of Judge Horn (Morgan & Peters, 2006). Indeed, the poem does include some words that can be considered to be vulgar, however, they should not be taken out of context. The words are not vulgar, but expressive. They have a role in the poem, and they play an important part in the artistic representation of the society. As the Judge states in the decision, it is hard to determine what is acceptable and what is not. Garofoli also states that standards differ from one group of people to another when it comes to acceptable content. There are no clear boundaries between categories. Judge Horn goes further, and asks: “would there be any freedom of press or speech if one must reduce his vocabulary to vapid innocuous euphemism?”. Reading the poem is not made compulsory for all people in the United States, therefore, one cannot argue that they are exposed to the content and vulgarity. Those who bought the book made a choice based on what they thought the poems represented. If they were disappointed, they were clearly misjudging the content. While it might be necessary for today’s press and media to label content, such as movies and series based on recommended age, this does not mean that content is banned. On the contrary. In the 21^st Century, sex sells, and advertising companies know this very well. If the Howl was banned, we could look through several children’s and teenagers’ movies for inappropriate representation of nudity or sexuality, and start creating a list of content that is not allowed to be distributed.

Artistic representation of the truth and one’s experiences should not be controlled by the influence of mainstream and government ideology. Artists are not standard, conformist people, as the poem Howl clearly expresses. In my opinion, any artistic work should be allowed to be distributed, as it would certainly find its own audience. Sex has been represented in literature for centuries, just like drugs. Just one example can be de Quincey’s work: Confessions of an English Opium Eater (1821). Back in the 19^th century  England, the work got published, even though it clearly described the author’s drug addiction and openly celebrated the pleasures of the drug. Therefore, in the 20^th century, in the United States of America, there is no place for state control of literary works.

Consider Howl in relation to your own – current – generation. What is your generation all about? What do you believe in? What are you searching for and what methods do you use to try to find that which you seek? Is there anything in your current society that you feel is destructive and that is driving you “mad”? Do you feel solidarity within society – a sort of “We’re all in this together” mentality, and how does that work or not work, as the case may be? What is your ideal society? Can it be achieved? If so, how? If not, what does that say about society? Be thoughtful in your answer. 600-700 words – include word count below. (10)

In today’s generation and society, the greatest challenge, in my opinion, is information overload and the lack of interpersonal connections. Relationships start disappearing when family members are restricted to communicate through social media, and getting information about their loved ones’ emotional well being through status updates. According to a recent report by the ILM and Ashbridge Business School, my generation, often labeled as Generation Y is unhappy. The generation that was born in the 1980-s and 1990-s grew up in a world that promised instant gratification through television programs, VCR players, CD players, i Pods, mobile phones, and then the Internet. The generation is used to getting information instantly, and have great expectations for the future, which are usually not fulfilled. They face a greater than ever competition  on the global scale. While the parents of Generation Y were working hard to provide them with education, the population of colleges and universities is becoming more saturated every year. This means that the value of a degree (graduate or undergraduate) is lower than it was decades ago.

While Generation Y has great expectations for the future, and benefit from the technological advancements of recent years, they also face global competition of talent. They suffered the recession of 2007 when many of them were in junior positions and lost their jobs. A large number of young people found themselves in financial hardship after being offered finance by banks and being unable to pay it back.

The other common issue that Generation Y people are facing is information overload. While almost all answers can be found online, and most smart phones are able to look up answers to popular questions, the reliability of the information is questionable. There is no clear direction, and in the postmodern world there is no absolute truth. There are multiple truths and realities, all influencing one’s life, social sensitivity, and personal development.

The loss of values is something that is the result of the world becoming less controlled and organized. Simply put, the Beat generation broke down boundaries too much, and values of the society have quickly disappeared. In the 21^st century, people are being judged by their phones and laptops, instead of their qualifications and knowledge. Intelligence and a caring attitude started to lose their value. When all information can be obtained through a simple Google search, the attention span of the Generation Y in school and at work becomes extremely short. The society becomes impatient, uncaring, and intolerant. The study created by the ILM and Ashbridge Business School shows that individualism in the 21^st century has gone so far that teamwork among Generation Y members is almost impossible. As the authors (ILM and Ashbridge Business School 8) state, the generation has a “strong focus on the self, and […] individual drive”. This makes collaboration and true relationships extremely difficult.

The above review highlighted that the main reason why today’s generation might be “going mad” lies in the lack of interpersonal relationships. Individualism destroys communication, the sense of connectedness and belonging. People of today’s society live in their own bubble, barely get out of their comfort zone, and find it hard to build true relationships, share experiences, and create a meaning for their lives. When values are disappearing, such as marriage, love, charity, forgiveness, intelligence, helping each other, and working together, all that remains is fierce competition that people need to face alone. This, itself can drive individuals mad. Interestingly, Ginsberg’s solution provided in the Footnote: humanity and the “kindness of the soul;” seems to offer a solution to the problems faced by today’s generation. Through love, loyalty, and connectedness, young people can overcome the sense of loneliness and exclusion.

The shared experiences of this generation are also related to several prolonged ongoing wars, which they detest. The majority of young people in America do not see the purpose of the Iraqi, Afghanistani, or Syrian wars. They only know that the conflict does not seem to end, and people lose their lives in vain. This disappointment can be the basis for the generation’s lack of confidence in their future.

Works Cited

De Quincey, Thomas. Confessions of an English Opium-eater. Broadview Press, (1926) 2009.

Garofoli, Joe. “Howl too hot to hear: 50 years after poem ruled not obscene, radio fears to air it” October 2, 2007. Web.

Ginsberg, Allen. Howl and Other Poems: Pocket Poets Number 4. No. 4. City Lights Books, 1956.

(ILM) Institute of Leadership & Management and Ashridge Business School. “Great expectations: managing Generation Y” Ashridge Business School. 2011. Web.

Morgan, B., & Peters, N. J. (2006). Howl on Trial: the battle for free expression. City lights books.