“It was John Kerouac... who several years ago... said 'You know, this is really a beat generation...' (Moran and Gannon). The Beat Generation or also known as "Beats" is a name used to characterize the leaders of the movement that in the 1950s swept through American culture after World War II as a balance with conformism and suburban organization - human model that controlled that time period (Moran and Gannon). The Beat Generation was a different kind of group that went against the norms of society. Their culture expressed the rejection of received standards and materialism, of innovations in styles, of alternative sexualities, of experimentation with drugs, of interest in Eastern religion and of explicit representation of the human condition. The Beat Generation, which included Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, and Allen Ginsberg, embraced originality and individuality in how people thought and acted in that time period and still has its effect in today's world. The themes of the Beat Generation helped pave the way for today's society that included disillusionment, social nonconformity and spontaneity. Disillusionment is considered the main theme of the movement and “…was the reason for the separation from traditional society that the Beats had originally desired” (Beat Movement). At that time some people didn't like the idea of ​​a lifestyle considered normal; the traditional spouse, with two children and a white picket fence (Beat Movement). These people who did not like the idea were disillusioned by the post-war contentment which led them to start a protest against the social norms which for them were considered more of a social control than a way of life. Another well-known theme of the Beat Genera... middle of paper... Ginsberg became popular quite quickly after that reading and in 1956 Howl & Other Poems was published. He then died on April 5, 1997 in New York of a heart attack while battling liver cancer. These writers along with others still have the ability to influence those in today's society. To conclude, the Beat Generation was one of the most influential literary movements. He embraced originality and individuality in how people thought and acted in that time period and still has its effect in today's world. With Ginsberg's The Howling, the idea of ​​what was considered adequate literature expanded incredibly. They helped abolish censorship through literature and the Beats pushed discussions of ecology and environmentalism into the mainstream (O'Hagan). The Beats paved the way for American society to express themselves in any way they wish.