Anarchy in Beat Generation Literature
The Beats were going to be their own men no matter the cost. You might say they marched to the beat of their own drum (haha, we're hilarious). And then turned the drum upside down and planted tomatoes inside it. In other words, they didn't follow anyone else's rules.
Sometimes that meant freedom. Sometimes that meant doing stupid things they thought expressed their individuality, but really just caused a scene. Free verse doesn't hurt anybody.
But anarchy can become sketchy when a dude shoots his wife in the face and then runs away without taking any responsibility for his actions. (That lovely episode is brought to you courtesy of William Burroughs, everybody. Eek. Scary mind, that one.)
Chew on This:
Only two political philosophies existed to William Burroughs: anarchy or fascism. In Naked Lunch, the rival political parties—the "liquifactionists," "senders," and "divisionists"—are all after the same thing: control. They only difference is how they go about acquiring it. Burroughs believed anarchy was the way to go. And boy, does his prose embody anarchy.
Ever wonder what would happen if religion married politics… and together, they made a beautiful baby? Well, wonder no longer, Shmoopers. Buddhist Anarchism, by Gary Snyder, is that baby. In it, Snyder says that because there is no true self, there is no rightful political structure that can control the self. Yeehaw. So, um, do what comes naturally (again, except shooting your wife in the face). If someone wants to shut down your individual expression, Snyder suggests we find a pretty patch of grass, sit on it, and protest. Peacefully.