On the road
Today I will tell you something about the book "On the road".
The two main characters of the book are the narrator, Salvatore "Sal" Paradise, and his new friend Dean Moriarty, much admired for his carefree attitude and sense for adventure, a free-spirited individualist eager to explore all kicks and he is an inspiration for Sal's travels.
The novel contains five parts, three of them describing road trips. The narrative takes place in the years 1947 to 1950, is full of American spirit, and marks a specific era in jazz history. The novel is largely autobiographical, Sal being the alter ego of the author.
The epic nature of the adventures and the text itself creates a tremendous sense of meaning and purpose for the themes and lessons the two men undergo.
In section one, Kerouac not only introduces many of the book's characters but also its central conflicts and dilemmas. He initially shows Sal as the deep thinking writer who yearns for greater freedom. As the plot unfolds he shows the depth and degree of Sal's internal conflict in the pursuit of "kicks," torn between the romanticized freedom of the open road and practicality of a more settled, domestic life.
Dean catalyzes the action of the novel. His uncontainable spirit invites Sal to follow but also foreshadows problems of commitment and devotion that will reappear later on.
The first section describes Sal's first trip to San Francisco, CA. Disheartened after a divorce, his life changes when he meets Dean Moriarty, who is tremendously excited with life, and begins to long for the freedom of the road: he expects visions, excitement and encounters with many girls.
He sets off in July 1947 with fifty dollars in his pocket. After taking several buses and hitchhiking, he arrives in Denver, where he hooks up with Carlo Marx, Dean, and their friends. There are parties — among them an excursion to the ghost town of Central City. Eventually Sal leaves by bus and gets to San Francisco, where he meets Remi Boncoeur and his girlfriend Lee Ann.
Remi arranges for Sal to take a job as a night watchman at a boarding camp for merchant sailors waiting for their ship. Not holding this job for long, Sal hits the road again. Soon he meets Terry, how he calls the cutest little Mexican girl, on the bus to Los Angeles.
They stay together, travelling back to Bakersfield, then to Sabinal, her hometown, where her family works in the fields. He meets Terry's brother Ricky, who teaches him the true meaning of "mañana" (=what can't be done today, will be done tomorrow). Working in the cotton fields, Sal realizes that he is not made for this type of work.
Leaving Terry behind, he takes the bus back to New York and walks the final stretch from Times Square to Paterson, just missing Dean, who had come to see him.
In section two, we learn about the dilemma of Dean's lack of commitment and selfishness. His wife Marylou says that he will always leave "you" if it isn't in his interest. Sal, too finds himself at a loss for purpose and direction. He has spent his time following the other characters but is unfulfilled by the frantic nature of this life.
Much of the euphoria has worn off as he becomes more contemplative and philosophical.
In December 1948 Sal is celebrating Christmas with his relatives in Testament, VA when Dean shows up with Marylou and Ed Dunkel. He left his second wife, Camille, and their newborn baby, Amy, in San Francisco. Sal's Christmas plans are shattered when Dean Moriarty turns up and Sal is eager for the road again.
Galatea Dunkel joins her husband in New Orleans while Sal, Dean, and Marylou continue their trip. Once in San Francisco, Dean again leaves Marylou to be with Camille. Both of them stay briefly in a hotel, but soon she moves out, following a nightclub owner. Sal is alone and on Market Street has visions of past lives, birth, and rebirth.
Dean finds him and invites him to stay with his family. Together, they visit nightclubs and listen to Slim Gaillard and other jazz musicians.
After seeing how he treats Camille and Marylou, Sal finally begins to realize the nature of his relationship with Dean. While he cares greatly about him, several times discussing future plans to live on the same street, he recognizes that the feeling may not be mutual.
The situations are beginning to change, though, as Sal has received some money from his recently published book and can begin to support himself and also Dean when he comes to New York. Sal is taking a more active role in his freedom as opposed to just following Dean.
By bus Sal takes to the road again eventually reaching Denver. There he meets Stan Shephard, and the two plan to go to Mexico City when they learn that Dean had bought a car and is on the way to join them. In a rickety '37 Ford sedan the three set off across Texas to Laredo, where they cross the border.
They are ecstatic, having left everything behind them and entering a new and unknown phase of things. They have enough money, cannabis is readily available, and people are curious and friendly. The landscape is magnificent. In Gregoria, they meet Victor, a local kid, who leads them to a bordello where they have their last grand party, dancing to mambo, drinking, and having fun with underage prostitutes.
In Mexico City Sal becomes ill from dysentery and is delirious and unconscious. Dean leaves him, and Sal later reflects that when he got better, he realized what a rat Dean was because he left him when he was sick.
Sal writes to Dean about his plan to move to San Francisco. Dean writes back saying that he's willing to come and accompany Laura and Sal. However at that time when Dean arrives, Sal hasn't got the money to go to San Fransisco. On hearing this Dean makes the decision to head back to Camille.
Sal later reflects as he sits on a river pier under a New Jersey night sky about the roads and lands of America that he has travelled and states ". . . I think of Dean Moriarty, I even think of Old Dean Moriarty the father we never found, I think of Dean Moriarty."
This book reflects the American spirit of freedom and adventure. As a piece of literature it is fascinating to read, but sometimes confusing due to the great number of characters that appear in the course of Sal's and Dean's travels. On the whole I can really recommend this book if you want to learn more about the American spirit.
DE
Basket
