This week's writing piece: Dharma Bums
Explore one/more of the following questions:
+ What IS a Dharma Bum? How does it relate to the Beats/beatitude? Point out illustrative passages.
+ Does Dharma Bums offer cultural critique, and how does it do so, as compared to other SF works we've encountered?
+ Reflect on the Japhy Ryder and Ray Smith characters. What are their central characteristics? How do they compare/contrast with one another as SF/counter-cultural figures?
+ Comment on the mixing of spiritual traditions in the novel: is there a particular spiritual practice being championed? What does it look like for Japhy? for Ray?
+ What other thematic connections do you see here, with the other SF texts we've read?
"It was a great new feeling to be able to jump from rock to rock..." (ch 12)
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