The Counterculture Of The 1960s From The Anti...

Several factors contributed to the counterculture of the 1960s from the anti-authoritarian engagements of preceding decades. The post-World War II ‘baby boom’ produced an extraordinary number of disaffected young people as potential partakers in a rethinking of the direction of American values. Post-war success permitted many of the counterculture generation to divert their attention from the benefaction of the material necessities of life that had preoccupied their Depression-era parents. People started to recognize that they could get what they want if they work hard enough for it, and if their voice is loud enough. The era was also distinguished in that a great portion of the range of conducts and ‘causes’ within the larger effort were quickly assimilated within the public. John Lennon, member of The Beatles and a model hippie, once said, â€Å"When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system’s game.† Ken Kesey w as a big believer is this notion and used his writings as a way to introduce people to this concept. Through the use of a 1950s mental ward, Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest draws inspiration from both the philosophy of Beat culture and the personal life experiences of the author. The novel’s setting reveals not only the devastating effects of enduring hardships on patients’ mental states, but also symbolizes the suppression of individuality by the establishment. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest illustrates the impactShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesarrived, and there were several points both before the year 2000 (the collapse of the Soviet Union, the reunification of Germany, the surge of globalization from the mid-1990s) and afterward (9/11, or the global recession of 2008) when one could quite plausibly argue that a new era had begun. A compelling case can be made for viewing the decades of the global scramble for colonies after 1870 as a predictable culmination of the long nineteenth century, which was ushered in by the industrial and political