Nestled in the wilderness of central California lays a hauntingly beautiful, 90-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway known as Big Sur. Many have gone there to soak in some of the finest fare nature has to offer. Though it is known for its beauty and serenity, Big Sur is the place where the famous Beat poet Jack Kerouac temporarily lost his mind and recorded the events surrounding his subsequent insanity.

Kerouac spins a riveting tale of his descent into the depths of hallucination, paranoia and insanity. Unlike other autobiographers who recall memories and events from their time of mental instability, Kerouac recorded each occurrence as it happened, bringing a gritty and raw vulnerability yet to be duplicated.

Kerouac gained admiration and venerability through his tales of the Beat Generation. Works such as On the Road and The Dharma Bums chronicled the labors and triumphs of the idealistic generation disillusioned with the idea of the American dream.

The term “Beat” was coined and made famous by Kerouac; meanwhile, the Beat movement flourished in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Members of the Beat Generation were known for their spontaneity and uninhibited ways. From hitchhiking across the country to climbing mountains on a whim, they refused to be governed by society’s expectations.

In Big Sur, Kerouac returns to his beloved California coast to take one last run at the pursuit of meaning and happiness through various hedonistic quests. A friend offers to let Kerouac stay at a cabin along the Big Sur coastline of central California, and he jumps at the chance for solitude and meditation.

It must be noted here that Kerouac’s detailed description of the rugged beauty of the Big Sur wilderness is unequaled. The splendor of nature, the key source of Kerouac’s inspiration is never portrayed as poignantly. Despite his optimism toward a retreat from society, Kerouac quickly finds himself questioning the lifestyle he had so ardently pursued and descends into depression and cynicism.

Though his closest friends try to console him and take his thoughts off his despair, he cannot be comforted. His depression morphs into hallucinations and paranoia, and culminates in a night of utter insanity and terror. His openness is frightening, including his contemplations of suicide and murder.

After his night of horror, he wakes refreshed and finds that his life has returned to normal. Things have come back into focus, and he decides that everything will be all right.

This disturbing story is indicative of the loss of meaning accompanied with much of the beatific literature. The Beat Generation sought after something they could not quite explain. Because of this vague quest for meaning through spontaneity and hedonism, many like Kerouac found themselves grasping for meaning in their life.

Though the Beat movement is largely dead, similar views on the significance of life have sprung up in the American culture. Many struggle with the same questions of meaning and significance, and some even lose their mind trying to deal with the loss of meaning.

Big Sur should provoke pursuit of concrete meaning. It should remind the reader that there is something beyond self-gratification and spontaneity. These cannot fully satisfy and will leave one seeking after ephemeral pleasure.