"The Miracle of Wholeness": la ricerca di equilibrio in Orpheus Emerged di Jack Kerouac

This research aims at investigating the novel Orpheus Emerged, one of the first works written by Jack Kerouac, in 1945. The literary work is based on the dichotomy man/artist and on the struggle of the self looking for a balance between these two dimensions. The allusive reference to the mythological figure of Orpheus – mentioned in the title – offers a clue for the analysis of the text and its topics, blurring the space-time borders. Orpheus Emerged shows Kerouac’s cultural polyglotism through literary references coming from various foreign literatures: this study focuses, in particular, on the influence of English literature, proving how authors, such as W. Blake, P. B. Shelley, J. Joyce, T.S. Eliot, and W. B. Yeats, can be considered sources of reflection and inspiration for Kerouac.