After the last world war and seeing probably some of the worst parts of humanity, some individuals began a search for answers and philosophies which began the “Beat” movement. This movement confronted the society torn by war and its issues of human condition. Along with this movement, the 50s and 60s had great advances in technology like planes, broad- spanned communications (more telephones) even new weapons that did not require so much hand to hand combat. Also, the beginning of the computer. Gaps were being closed and the bridges between ideas and information were shorter.
Communication became faster allowing for more ideas in which Jack Kerouac’s style of spontaneous writing is exemplified. People had to accept all the new changes to update with the world. Kerouac’s writing invites people to accept a different style of writing that is not subjected to rules and standards of typical grammar and composition. He splices many different thoughts which suggests that everything, however different, is interrelated and fits together in spite of order. This again closes gaps between ideas.
One major gap in ideas is race. Culture teaches prejudice against races which creates gaps and alienation. We associate certain traits and stereotypes to different people; they are the “other”. Also, we associate or compare to past times or events, and sometimes have nostalgia or a longing for that again. Nostalgia sometimes does not allow for interrelation to the present, and we don’t see the evolution of times which makes another gap, ex. Then and Now versus now And then. We all associate different things with race and times like the afros and victories of the 1970s NBA players, or the use of a dictionary and a pencil vs. our ability to use a Word or spell-check.
Culture influences our views of these subjects, but we are also influenced by media and government. William Burrough suggests that this influence can be rearranged but using the “cut up”. By rearranging the language that media or government communicates we change the gap and the old subject becomes something we may be able to connect to better or substitute to create something new like using tags or links in hypertext. Using juxtaposition also closes the gap between opposites that usually don’t connect. It takes it out of order like the spontaneous writing. Hip Hop uses many different techniques and communications to connect many aspects to create one sound or song. DJ’s scratch sound, which makes a new sound that, is still connected to the old. Communication is important for literacy, which is the understanding of any given topic. Using these different techniques opens us for literacy.
Everything can be changed or viewed differently and these techniques that give us more ability to do so. Using the resources and language, even the stuff you may overhear in a restaurant, helps us find more connection and relations between basically anything. Through this, we find more answers and communication which closes gaps between humanity.
