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Definition of Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to... read full definition
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Dirty and Clean:
In Chapter 2, Ray attends a poetry reading shortly after meeting Japhy in which Japhy's curse word is oxymoronically described by Kerouac:
“Fuck you! sang Coyote, and ran away!” read Japhy to the distinguished audience, making them all howl with joy, it was so pure, fuck being a dirty word that comes out clean.
The description of "fuck" as both "dirty" and "clean" is oxymoronic, as it appears contradictory. How can a word—especially a curse word, also known as a "dirty word"—be both "dirty" and "clean" at the same time?
Kerouac distinguishes between the word's meaning and connotation, which are "dirty," and the way it sounds, which is "clean." The attention to sound is important both because the characters are at a poetry reading where they are reading works aloud and also because Kerouac himself paid great attention to the sonic element of his writing.
This oxymoron highlights the dichotomy between fellow dharma bum Japhy—someone who wore "rough workingman's clothes bought secondhand"—and the "distinguished" audience he is reading poetry to. From a broader perspective this is the same dichotomy of "dharma bum" as a phrase. The oxymoron illustrates how the Beat Generation is redefining what it means to be a successful writer.
While not relevant to the oxymoron, it is worth noting that "howl" could be a subtle allusion to Allen Ginsburg's "Howl." Allen was a fellow member of the Beat Generation, a friend of Kerouac, and he appears in the novel (including at this poetry reading specifically) under the pseudonym "Alvah Goldbrook."
Related Themes:
Chapter 7
Explanation and Analysis—Like Cathedral light:
In Chapter 7, Ray, Japhy, and Morley wake up at the base of Mount Matterhorn to a splendid view described with simile and imagery:
A beautiful morning—red pristine shafts of sunlight coming in over the hill and slanting down into the cold trees like cathedral light, and the mists rising to meet the sun, and all the way around the giant secret roar of tumbling creeks probably with films of ice in the pools.
The imagery describing what the "beautiful morning" looks like focuses on what Ray sees and hears: namely, the "red pristine shafts of sunlight" and the "mists rising to meet the sun" as well as the sound of the "giant secret roar of tumbling creeks." "Giant secret roar" is somewhat of an oxymoron, as "giant secret roar" conveys noise and intensity as it simultaneously conveys a secret and subdued nature. The oxymoron suggests there is a grandeur to the rushing water while it nevertheless seamlessly meshes into the backdrop of the broader landscape.
The "shafts of sunlight" are equated through simile to "cathedral light." Spending time in nature is a religious experience for Ray, and the simile highlights that connection between nature and spirituality. More than anything, the imagery and simile emphasize the beauty of Mount Matterhorn, even just at the mountain's base. This awe-inspiring beauty only crescendos as the characters ascend.
Related Themes:
