Brenda Frazer the epitome of The Beat Generation

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The beat generation is a generation started in the 1950's by American artists and writers who refused conformity to traditional American ways and spoke of starting their own alternative lifestyle. The beat lifestyle included the sought after liberation and rebellion from society hindering chains of established, accepted ways of life. Within Paul Lauter's book, 'The Heath Anthology of American Literature,' Ronna C. Johnson from Tufts University, writes an analysis of Troia: Mexican Memoirs as well as synopsis of Brenda's life. Also in Lauter's book is the original Frazer's work Troia. In addition, Brenda Knight, another authority of the beat culture, writes in her book 'Women of the Beat Generation' of Frazer's struggles.

Brenda Frazer had a life nothing short of beat. Born in 1939 in middle class Washington DC, Brenda attended Princeton High School. It has been said that, ?her parents, especially her mother, were unhappy in their marriage, which cast an uncomfortable sadness over the household. Brenda remembers struggling with disorientation and a feeling of not fitting anywhere during her teen years.? (Knight, 269). Personally knowing that uncomfortable sadness and the struggle with finding ones identity, I can see why Brenda, at first unintentionally and then with full purpose, sought after a beat life.

While still in college, Brenda met a beat poet named Ray Bremser and the two of them became infatuation with one another. They married 3 weeks later. Brenda says, ?I adored him, even his eccentricities, and justified my own existence by typing his poems. I identified with Fidel Castro. His patriotism, presented in a lawyer truth, moved me. His actions inspired me to quit school and give thought to a shameful corrupting infl...

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... of her life we see her long for the idea of love, yet denied the love of having a husband or being a mother. Brenda Frazer, gave that all up, for the love of creativity. Brenda speaks of this creativity when she says, ?I defined myself when I sat down to write. It was a rebellion against my most immediate authority figure, who was once again in jail. Writing was a therapy I could afford. It was exciting then and still is to give myself that freedom. Alone I evolved my personal story. There was no mentor or male muse to be an live-in example for me. I have more creativity now. Creativity is in the middle, at the turning point of gender, neither, either, nor.? (Knight, 271).

WORKS CITED

Books:

Knight, Brenda. ?Women In the Beat Generation.? Conari Press, 1997.

Lauter, Paul. ?The Heath Anthology of American Literature.? Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

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