Countercultural

=__How Truman Capote's novella Breakfast at Tiffany's is Countercultural__=

Countercultural Literature — Literature espousing or describing a search for meaning outside mainstream society.

Unlike the novels earlier in this course, Breakfast at Tiffany's is not explicitly countercultural. On the Road, For Colored Girls, and Invisible Man all feature characters who are actively seeking to escape from the strictures of culture. They reference this goal enough to make it plain to see—Sal and Dean constantly talk about the Fellahin outlook they seek to emulate, and Ellison frequently references the works of Thoreau and Emerson. Because they aren't visible on the work's surface, the countercultural underpinnings of Breakfast at Tiffany's are not immediately apparent. It's easy to confuse this covertness with a complete absence, but this would be a mistake; upon a closer examination, the countercultural context is clear.