America's Standard Way of Life in 1960's

America's Standard Way of Life in 1960's

The counter culture of the mid 1960's was a break in the chain of America's standard way of life. The frustrated teens of the age were beginning to follow in a new direction. One man had come into the lives of thousands of "lost" souls quite quickly, and he brought his LSD with him. Ken Kesey had abruptly destroyed the ordinary lifestyle of thousands in the San Francisco area by showing everyone the magical wonders of acid. He infused these new psychedelic trips with the mellow sounds of such bands as The Grateful Dead, The Jefferson Airplane, and Bob Dylan, something everyone seemed to enjoy. As Kesey began to gain more support in his new ideas, he decided to bring his lifestyle out of San Francisco and deliver it to the world. During the Electric Kool Aid Acid Tests, Kesey realized that he could in fact influence the world but only with the help of his little group of friends called The Merry Pranksters. In the end, Ken Kesey had helped form the drastic counter culture of the 1960's with his widespread distribution of LSD and rock and roll. Ken Kesey was born in Colorado in 1935 but was raised most of his life in Eugene, Oregon. As Kesey went through high school, he was an all around athlete. He was a star wrestler and football player in his early years, dedicating most of his time to sports. After graduating from the University of Oregon and studying at Stanford, Kesey's writing career began its trail of success. His most famous novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, was published in 1962 and is still used today as an example of the 60's roaring protest against society's rules and those who enforced them. It is told from the standpoint of a 6'8" half Indian patient at a mental hospital. A new member of the ward, Mr. McMurphy, is introduced and he seems to enjoy going around the rules of his new home to find the humor in everything that happens there. McMurphy is the example of the new minority culture approaching in America: the counter culture. In 1965 Ken...

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