On the Road Essay

Response: Chapters 1-2 From the very first pages of the book it becomes clear that the book is a novel of characters rather than a novel of plot. I think the novel captures the audience due to unexpected movements of the main characters. First chapters show that the whole plot centers on the character of Dean Moriarty. The novel starts with Sal’s descriptions of his life before Dead. He has just split up with his wife, has recovered from serious illness and, we see that he simply doesn’t know where to move and how to arrange his life. Sal seems to be weaker personality than Dean, who manages to direct Sal’s actions the way he likes. Sal feels tired and depressed and I think that he has lost sense of life. It is Dean that sparks Sal’s personality into motion. It is possible to say that Dean is personification of Sal’s dreams. Sal has always dreamed of moving to the West and Deans arrives from there. Dean lives in San Francisco, travels across the country. Dean drinks a lot, uses drugs and has many women. Moreover, he is a father of four children from two different women. In the first two chapters Kerouac juxtaposes the ideas of the East and the West. The East is presented as old, intellectual, critical, saddened and stagnant, whereas the West is presented as passionate, wild, young and exuberant. Sal and Dean are described with attributes of the places they are from. The West is a new horizon for Sal, and the East is a new horizon for Dean. The novel is told from Sal’s perspective and we are allowed only to see and to feel through Sal. In the first chapters Sal remain unchanged; he is only sparked with the idea of something new and unexplored. Sal is impressed by Dean’s impulsiveness and recklessness. I think that Sal is willing to have the same qualities as Dean, he realizes that he may change his life, to introduce something new and wild in his bored lifestyle. Response: Chapters 3-4 We see that Sal’s adventure with Dean begins. Sal is very excited as he will become acquainted with places he has never been to. Thus, his descriptions of the passing places are exuberant and vivid. I think Sal fees younger, stronger and more confident. Through the long sentences and paragraphs, Kerouac shows that Sal’s exciting feelings are constant, they are rolling in motion. Sal reminds a child who is allowed to something secret, forbidden, something he has never been allowed to do. Relative lull occurs in the Des Moines hotel, when Sal awakes in the morning and can’t understand where he is, who he is and what he is doing. He realizes he is somewhere halfway across America, between the East and West. I think Sal realizes he is halfway from his long-awaited dream. Sal’s emotions are paralleled with surrounding geography. Through geography Sal manages to provide his emotions, ideas and dreams with definite forms. Sal’s emotions are changing and geography is changing as well. Interestingly, Sal feels when approaching the west everything is better and bigger. Even the ice cream and apple pie are testier. All the characters Sal meets on the road are individuals, they are epitomes of the region, embodiments of better living standards. To signify all events and characters, Sal describes everything in superlatives – the best, the prettiest, the hugest, etc. It shows that he is really fascinated with his journey and really obsessed with the West. For Sal, Denver is the Promised Land, Nebraska resembles the Nile Valley, and San Francisco is the greatest among them. Sal visits Denver, where Dean was born. Again Sal thinks Dean is envisioning the West. These chapters are the climax of Sal’s compassion, excitement and clear-eyed tolerance. We see Sal simply follows Dean in everything; he even reshapes his values and beliefs. Response: Chapters 5-6 Sal’s adventure with Dean continues: new impressions, new acquaintances, new ideas and new dreams. Sal realizes that the West is approaching, and he feels more confident that his dream will come true. Nevertheless, we see that Sal remains modest about himself, although he envisions place and people in grand terms. Sal is constantly pleased, and, at the same time, he seems not to believe that he may approach the West. He has been dreaming of the West for many years, and I think it is difficult for him to understand that his dream may be accomplished. He is thankful to Dean for opportunity of self-expression and self-realization. In my opinion, I can’t say that Dean is positive character. Yes, he has influenced Sal showing him new opportunities and new horizons, but Dean is too wild and mad. Sal didn’t understand yet possible outcomes of their so-called friendship. Dean is zealous and wild personality, though he is captivating as well. And his wildness and craziness attracts Sal who used to live a calm life. Sal begins picturing himself in the eyes of his new friends. He stumbles into Denver considering the city mysterious. Nonetheless, we know that Sal is too earnest and infatuated to affect something or someone. Sal is the person who is affected, not the one who affects. Despite Sal is with his friends, he feels less- confident. When he gives a cryptic answer, he is criticized and, instead of defending his position, he explains that he doesn’t know what they try to get at. In these chapters Kerouac shows that Sal is more an observer rather than performer. He faces new world and he doesn’t know how to cope with it, how to behave, what to expect from it. I think that the majority of Sal’s idealistic visions are nothing more than facades, and in future they will definitely result in sadness and disillusionment. However, Sal is mot aware of that fact.