In what ways are the Beat Generation and the Merry Pranksters similar and in what ways do they differ? How does Tom Wolfe compare or contrast the two?

Consider how Ken Kesey and the setting on Perry Lane evolved after he began taking part in the experiments with psychotomimetic drugs at the Veterans Hospital. What is Wolfe’s attitude to Kesey’s enthusiasm for psychedelic drugs?

Explain and discuss what Kesey means by his repeated metaphor of “being on the bus.”