Jack Kerouac, Visions of Gerard

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Visions of Gerard

is a representation of the illness and death of a young boy, Gerard, in 1920s Lowell, viewed through the eyes of his younger brother, Ti Jean. Ti Jean narrates his memories as an adult, looking back from the 1950s. Ti Jean emphasizes the saintliness of Gerard, made manifest in a vision Gerard has at school of his ascension to heaven, just before his terminal decline sets in. Gerard also has a rapport with animals and birds, berating his cat over the killing of a mouse and attracting a flock of birds to his bedroom window when a bed-ridden invalid. This reputation for beatitude leads the nuns who taught him at school to be present at his death-bed and record his final words. His saintliness is underlined when, immediately after his death, “the flock of birds … phebes…

660 words

Citation: Ellis, R. J.. "Visions of Gerard". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 April 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8635, accessed 28 March 2024.]

8635 Visions of Gerard 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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