The home as public space and creative initiative

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Until recently, Beat women writers have been overlooked as artists by scholarship. They have been pigeonholed as prostitutes, chicks, or conventional homemakers. They deserve reconsideration not only for their writing but also for their contributions to a changing American culture, to the nature of the home itself, and to the creation of art. This dissertation studies the background of the 1950s and conventional women's roles during this time in relation to three Beat women writers: Carolyn Cassady, Hettie Jones, and Joyce Johnson. In order to put the women in perspective, I have included a chapter about Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac and their views of women and home. I personally interviewed the women and used original works and letters by all to indicate how their lives transform into art. This study is important because it puts Beat women writers in a new light and opens the door for future criticism and discussion of their significance. It also gives a new view of the Beat movement.