Conformism şi subversiune în opera lui William Seward Burroughs
Conformism and Subversion in the Works of William Seward Burroughs

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this article is to explore two of the major works of William Seward Burroughs: Junkie and Naked Lunch. In these novels, the author deals with the theme of drugs, in a pragmatic and cynical perspective. Even though the novels depict grotesque scenes, we consider that these texts have a subtle moral aim. By having established the starting point of this research, we will analyze the modality of representation and contestation of the American establishment in the novel Junkie. In the first novel, William Seward Burroughs tries to argue that the only viable solution against the middle-class shallow values is the drug consumption. His writing style is dominated by linear narration, making this text a viable social reflection. On the other hand, the novel Naked Lunch is written on the influence of heroin. Therefore, William Seward Burroughs attacks the linear development of the text by using fragmentation. This act also wants to appeal towards authenticity because the reader has to re-make the naration by using the given fragments. I will argue that this is a mark of early postmodernism, in contrast with the other members of the Beat Generation, who, in the 1950s and 1960s, were still rooted in modernism. Also, his approach regarding the drug theme is a real one – surpassing both the idealization of this phenomen and the accusation.

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