Unfair Battle of the Sexes

Sal is still young and maybe not ready for a lifelong commitment yet but he is yearning for a partner to have a long lasting relationship with who will be willing to do the same rebellious and spontaneous things Sal has been doing this whole time. Sal has a way with the girls and has been sleeping around with different women all throughout the book; the problem being is that he hasn’t found someone he can truly connect with on an emotional level (the physical level doesn’t seem to be a problem for any guy or girl in this book). When he was in California I thought for sure he would be bringing Terry along with him back to New York because he really cared about her, but fear of commitment and the want to avoid any complications drew him away. This happened again with Lucille, and once Sal saw that Lucille didn’t connect with the people Sal loved hanging out with and traveling the country with, he realized that he didn’t want to spend any more time with her.

One can also see that although all these people are looking for someone to commit themselves to, the male partner in the relationship puts the woman through a horrible time and completely screws them over. This happened with Sal and Terry when he left her in Cali, Dean and Camille when he left her broke and with a child to go with Marylou, and Ed and Galatea when, out of nowhere, he decided he didn’t enjoy her company anymore and that her nagging over the uncomfortable situations they encountered were too annoying, so he just leaves her with no regard. The problem of course, is that the women is this book are also made to be stupid and ignorant. I don’t understand what crosses Galatea’s mind for her to still want to be with Ed after he has treated her so poorly and even makes love to him the first time they re-encounter. This book can be considered sexist, favoring the males by a long shot, but maybe Kerouac is rather trying to point out the fact that society nowadays values physical pleasures more than emotional support.

Response to Emily

I agree that Kerouac has a talent to making women nothing but a sex object of which men can get temporary pleasure from, only to discard them and trade them later on as if they were broken toys. But as you were saying, this book is characterized by mindless behavior and making stupid mistakes because of a lack of experience and knowledge that they are even doing something wrong. As for Dean and Marylou, they are the kinky weird couple who love and hate each other and are fine seeing the other be happy with someone else as long as they come back to one another in the end. For example when Dean wanted Sal to do it with Marylou just to see what she was like with someone else. Obviously that isn’t something most people would want, but this book is about just going with it and doing dumb things without thinking twice because thinking twice is sometimes the evil factor behind regrets.

Response to Mona

I completely agree with Mona. Sal is a sheep; he follows the most interesting characters he can find into less than desirable situation. Dean, as Jon mentioned, is a sheep because she is unable to handle any situation properly. Sal is not the sort of strong leader who is usually the protagonist in classic novels. I think that because Sal is so wishy-washy, which is in such contrast to most successful novels, it makes him an unpredictable character. I have a feeling, that precisely because he is so different, the book has become iconic. I also believe it’s why the book is extremely frustrating and difficult to get through. I do not necessarily enjoy that a character as flimsy as Neal can control Sal and his friends so easily. Sal seems to morph and become like whatever person he happens to be with at the time. I think a lot of situations could have been avoided if Sal was stronger and more demanding. I thought that Dean would fill this gap but instead Dean is too insane to control his own actions much less Sal’s. I am finding it extremely hard to like any of the characters at this point.    

On the Road: The Relationships

Real people are not perfect. They do not always do the right thing. They sometimes make poor decisions, which can ultimately affect others in a permanent and damaging way. Young people are especially venerable to being labeled as irresponsible or trouble when they make a mistake. The true estimate of a person’s kindness and redeemability is their ability to fix or at least understand what they have done wrong  and try to change it. Although I understand this, and making mistakes is part of being human, Sal and his friends are truly a new breed of crazy, irresponsible, and terrible. When it comes to women, none of his friends have an ounce of respect. They discard women like garbage when a new opportunity arises or a better woman comes along. When Sal was last united with Dean he was cheating on his girlfriend. He was balancing two different relationships. Sal and all of Dean’s other friends are completely supportive of this behavior. Before that, Dean and his wife, Marylou, seem to have a loud and abusive relationship, where neither of the two feels they need to change their ways. Sal’s friend Remi picks a horrible girlfriend, who only chose Remi because she thought that he had money. When she found out that Remi was broke, she and Remi begin to fight constantly. It also seemed to be somewhat of an emotionally abusive relationship. Then Sal finds a good girl, but he ditches her when he becomes bored and tired of her lifestyle. He gives her hope that they may meet again, but I do not think that he had any intention of seeing her again. Finally when Sal reconnects with Dean, he learns that Dean has abandoned his wife Camille and his daughter and has reconnected with his ex-wife Marylou. He completely shirks the responsibilities of fatherhood because he is scared and crazy. Sal’s other friend Ed marries Galatea but then leaves her in Arizona because she refused to pay for him and his friends. It seems that Jack Kerouac has a talent for creating male characters who are sexist and arrogant. The girls that he writes about are not only weak losers but also seem to be promiscuous and self-loathing. If Marylou had any self respect she would have never reunited with Dean, who is obviously mental unstable and prone to cheating. I am very pessimistic about the outlook of Sal and his friends’ love lives. At this moment I find most of the male characters disgusting.           

Response to Mona

     Mona, I agree with your comparison of Dean to a sheep herder; everyone that meets him seems to want to be him. Like every leader, Dean has a natural magnetism. He is the catalyst for Sal's new life and everything he aims to achieve. The first page of the novel starts with, "I first met Dean..." (p. 1). It does not come as a surprise, then, that Dean has been the driving force for the entire novel. Perhaps Sal is like Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby. He seems to be the narrator of a grand story that is not about him at all. Instead it is about Dean and everything he represents: freedom, control, and clarity. Dean is a free spirit; he refuses to be held down by anyone. For this reason, he has difficulties keeping a relationship and remaining loyal to one girl. Although Sal wants to pursue a steady relationship and "rest my soul with her till we both get old" (p. 108), he cannot break from Dean. Like America itself, Dean shines with opportunity, mystery, and promise. Wherever he goes he brings a crowd of followers with him. Perhaps this is why Neal Cassidy was such an influential figure in the Beat Generation.

The Dean Moriarty Bug

     I think at this point we have all developed different opinions on Dean's character. Some of us think he's a genius, and others think he's a phony who says whatever comes to mind and makes it sound deep. He seems quite childish in his jokes and observations, but this is exactly what makes him so different. Like we learned in Mr. Shapiro's lectures, Dean has something everyone yearns for: clarity. Dean has no filter whatsoever; when they are visiting Times Square he remarks "we were a band of Arabs coming in to blow up New York" (p. 108). He pursues an unconventional lifestyle, jumping from girl to girl and cheating on every single one. This is what makes Dean so appealing to Sal, who perceives Dean's clarity as absolute genius. Dean does not seem to feel insecurity like Sal does; he is confident in his decisions, no matter how mad they seem. He lives in the present and makes the most of each day.
     When Sal is just getting comfortable living his own life again, Dean shows up at his front door and leads him on a whole new trek on the road. Will Sal learn more with Dean around or will he go backwards maturity-wise? Dean certainly introduces him to that restless youth lifestyle, but he also an uncanny ability to organize and give other people commands. Like Mona mentioned, Dean is the perfect sheep herder. He has the power to attract followers with his charisma and direct them where to go. I must wonder, however, if Dean is actually leading Sal on the path to some kind of beatnik Nirvana or if he is just that bad influence our parents want us to stay away from.
     I did some research online and found out Dean is meant to be Neal Cassidy, a major figure of the Beat Generation. I also found out Carlo Marx is Allen Ginsberg (I swear he was my favorite from the start!). This is why Mona's names are different from all of ours; she has the original manuscript. Perhaps knowing the context behind the story will help us to understand Dean's musings and recognize them as genius. Or maybe they will make the works of Neal Cassidy look like meaningless rambles. I guess we will just have to wait and see how the story unfolds. Either way, it's hard not to catch the Dean Moriarty bug.

Response to Mona

You are very correct in comparing Neal to a sheep herder. It is possible that he just has that effect on others causing them to follow his every word without much question or thought. It can also result from, what you said, his incredible intellect and childlike behavior that creates a very attractive glow which pulls his friends into his custody. However, when Mr. Shapiro told us of those people that can have very high IQ levels, I believe that those people are brilliant but cannot converse with others because they would not be able to relate since they are on a whole different level. In the case of Jack and Neal, Jack follows Neal around like a sheep, but I do not believe it is because Neal is smarter than Jack. On the contrary, I believe that Jack has a far superior intellect when compared to Neal but, I do believe that he follows Neal because, unlike Neal, Jack cannot relate to other people because he is, as I stated earlier, on a different level. So, if anyone fits the description that Mr. Shapiro gave us in that lecture, I do believe the person that fits in Jack because of his high level of intellect and his incapability to relate with other people.

Small Piece of Peace

I see your point Mona and I completely agree with your thoughts. Due to Sal's lack of confidence and Dean's lack of self-control, they will both find themselves caught up with the consequences of their actions soon enough. The way I think about how Sal should have handled the whole ordeal from the get-go though, is a whole different story. Almost everyone works to reach some form of peace in their life and many never find it but, most of the time that is because they aren't looking in the right places. Sal, like any other person is searching for that small portion of peace I was talking about earlier. His take on it is that he must move West, were he has never been before, because it is unexplored territory for him and his most recent location (East) has only lead to extreme depression. Now, from the experiences that Jack tells us about in the story show that Sal thinks he is on the right path but, in the back of his mind I believe that he is still skeptical about his journey with Dean. If I were Sal, I would first have considered the possibility that the peace that I seek might actually be not that far from home and look more closely at the environment that surrounded me. Most of the time, the things were are searching for are actually right under our noses. For example, in the story The Alchemist, Santiago, the main character, is first introduced when awakens in an abandoned church that has a hole in the ceiling. Afterwards, Santiago goes on a journey that takes him from his home in Spain and across the Middle East to find the Alchemist who is suppose to tell Santiago where the treasure of the universe hides. In the end, Santiago realizes the answer and returns to the church from the beginning of the story and digs up the treasure while laughing. So, a lesson that is taught from this story is that our most wanted desires are closer than we think. Therefore, I believe Sal should look closer to home rather than going off searching in an area he has never been to before. 

Response to Chows Old post

I agree with Chow about how Sal is desperately trying to find an alternate life style to replace his old boring one, but I think The Metamorphosis is more about how even when someone has a boring job, if they get sick or something dramatic happens and they're incapable of doing daily activities, they still are too afraid to go against the institution of state and stop working. Mainly, people are a slave to their work. Sal is more of a slave to Dean's madness and let's himself get dragged around on crazy adventures because deep down inside, it's what he wants. Sal definitely did have a boring life before his little "road trip" and I agree with you that he is searching for fun in the wrong places that could evidently hurt him, but I think he's just too caught up in himself to understand that.
It is true that responsibility is almost unavoidable and I agree that they will soon have to realize that the can't be fooling around all the time; however, it is possible to avoid responsibility. Now, that being said, it may be possible but the outcome isn't a good one. They can either choose to lead a childish, irresponsible life and end up in a hell hole, or they can pick themselves up and do something reasonable for a change. With every action is a reaction.

The Sheep Herder

As much as Neal and Jack try to be responsible human beings, they always end up having someone else pick up after them. Whether it be Jack picking up after Neal, or Jacks mother picking up after him. Neal is ultimately a child and I find him to be too comfortable with the people he meets because he pretty much just walked into Jacks family's house and made himself at home. Neal is like a sheep herder and all of his friends are the sheep. They all listen to him and he automatically assumes the position of a leader. "Furiously he hustled into the railroad station; we followed sheepishly."
I think Neal's friends like being the sheep though because they don't have to think for themselves in that case, all they have to do is listen and act. "'Alright now,' said Neal suddenly waking up and leaping out of bed 'what we must do is eat, at once, Louanne rustle around the kitchen see what there is, Jack you and I go downstairs and call Allen, Al you see what you can do straightening out the house.' I followed Neal bustling downstairs." Neal isn't even in his own house and the first thing he does when he wakes up is give everyone else (including himself) a job to do.
Neal reminds me of the lecture Mr. Shapiro gave us about how some people can have such IQ's that they don't know how to communicate with anyone else. I think Neal is just a brilliant person trapped with a childlike sense of humor. "There was nothing clear about the things he said, but what he meant to say was somehow made pure and clear." Neal can go on for house about how society already knows, and time exists and God is real, and I'm pretty sure what he says makes sense in his own mind but when I (the reader) read his dialogue, it sounds like free speech where he's just saying whatever comes to his mind.

Response to Emily

I do believe that Sal is definitely trudging West in search of the the wild life. I also believe that he is doing so out of some dream that, in the end, shows him meeting people who can relate to him and take him in as one of their own. Sal might see this happening now with people like Dean but, I do believe that he is going to be let down soon because I think that most of the people that he is hanging out with are only using him as a means of letting their own personal feelings out. In other words, they are using him as a puppet and manipulating him to their will and Sal, ignorantly, follows most of what they say in order to fit in. Sadly, they will eventually lead him so far astray that he will no longer be able to return to the safe shores of the normal life that he once had. Instead, he will reach the result that he was trying to run away from, the end of a lonely man who has no one to comfort him in his hour of need.

Coming to Terms with Reality

There is a distinct similarity between On the Road and Kafka's story. The idea of a soul searching adventure is a very openly used theme in The Metamorphosis. Kafka writes about a man who wakes up to find that his boring and agitating life has become, although more annoying, a bit more exciting than usual since he has transformed into a giant bug. However, the message that the reader gets from this transfiguration, the fact that he is no longer useful at his job, and that his family has given up on him is that the harder you fight to get away from it all, the quicker you actually get to your wished destination. Evidently,  the wished destination concludes with the fastest and loneliest path towards death with no one to mourn your passing. Only those who think it is fit to celebrate once your gone are left. This realization in Kafka's story that is seen by readers is portrayed in On the Road as Sal walks through the same steps that the main character in Kafka's story did. So, since he sees his own life turning dull and stagnant, he is desperately trying to find an escape route out of this form of limbo that plagues his own life. Currently he has found a way to dodge the depressing lifestyle that will eventually lead to an unpleasant death. However, Sal is not entirely sure if the remedy is permanent. So, he is constantly on the move, running away from any form of commitment and responsibility that might fall on his shoulders if he stands still for too long.  I do believe that most males at this point in their lives tend to develop this idea that their lives are turning from exciting to boring because of the numerous issues that they have to take care of which leaves them with little to no time at all to keep up with youth. Therefore, they panic and think that they need to start doing reckless and fun things in order to keep their original color. This may suppress their feelings on the matter for some time but, eventually they will see that there is no escape from the inevitability of responsibility and will come to terms with the spots that they must fill in society, unhappily no doubt.

Response to Anike

Sal is obviously in love with what Dean represents. The freedom, the carelessness, the girl-to-girl bouncing, the happiness and simplicity of lifestyle. The problem with Sal is that he is unable to look past Dean’s outer shell and see him for what he truly is. Dean is a hippie with nothing going for him because whenever a good situation presents itself for Dean, he throws it away to chase a life on the road. Ever since Dean came back into Sal’s life, it seemed evident that Sal’s seemingly improving life was coming to yet another halt at Dean’s expenses. Lucille told Sal that she didn’t like him when he was around Dean and his other friends, and Old Bull told Sal that if he followed Dean to Frisco it would be the end of him, so obviously other people aren’t blind to Dean’s flaws like Sal is and they know that spending time around him only damages Sal. I see these remarks and comments as foreshadowing for something Dean will do that will really hurt Sal and make him completely rethink if Dean is the person he wants to follow. 

Philosophies and Kafka References

The mistreatment of the women is blatant in this book, but it has come to a point where the relationships and philosophies on being with someone from the opposite sex are just odd and very controversial. Leaving Camille in Frisco for his beloved Marylou was one thing, but when Dean asks Sal to have sex with Marylou to "see how she is with others" gives an awkward feeling to read. Another incident of the sort was when in New Years Marylou and Dean wanted to swing with Sal and Lucille, which, from one thing leading to another, basically broke Lucille and Sal up. This is an upset because Sal saw Lucille as a potential wife and he wanted to marry her, but now all those ideas are done with. From the events that have been happening with Marylou and Dean and the others I've gotten a sense that these characters don't believe in possession of another human. With that being said, this also comes with no real loyalty to another person, even if they love each other, how Dean and Marylou have shown. This helps explain why many of these characters don't have actual relationships and just bounce around from one partner to the next. They get what they want in the moment, they don't want to commit themselves and limit their sexual life to one partner. 

Pertaining to the ideals and philosophies of the characters, they can be characterized as hippies. As Dean has shown, he just goes along with what life brings him and makes the best out of everything and enjoys even the simplest moments. He “digs” everyone and rarely comes into conflict with another character, except for cops. In addition to Dean, Old Bull also has a similar mentality in which he thinks it is the institutions that are ruining all the people and the businesses like the bars. He says bureaucracies are detrimental to society. This can also be supported by the fact that he reads Kafka, and if he has understood some of the central messages of Kafka’s writing, then he got his ideals from him. They can also be categorized as hippies because they just party, do drugs, drink, be kind to others, and enjoy life without worrying about anything because, like Dean said, there isn’t anything worth worrying about. 

Response to Emily

I agree that both side of The United States have different "personalities" but I believe that the East represents stability and responsibility while the West represents madness and adventure. I also agree that the further West Sal goes, the more you realize that he will always want the same friends and comfort that he got from home and that home does, in a way, follow him. However, the further and further Sal leaves the East, the crazier the people get. Yes, they all do serve the same position that those back at home might have, but they are all mad. It's already been made clear that Sal has a liking towards mad people so I believe he wants the same feel that home gave him but with more childish characters surrounding him. The farther West he travels, the closer, I think, he will get to that goal. So far it hasn't been working out from him though. He started off with a home and a normal life and now he's living off barely anything and his mothers kindness.

Response to Emily

Emily, I agree that Sal feels a longing for home at the end of Part I; when he is spreading mustard on sandwiches in the back of a parking-lot john he has most certainly hit a low point. The spectacular land of opportunity has actually drained all his money and left him homeless on the street. He goes crawling back to his aunt, who seems to be an endless provider (Mona, I can relate to your frustration when Sal asks for ANOTHER 50 dollars). I believe Part I is developing an inkling of a theme; I am not sure if it will be more about the West itself or the people in his lives. Since Dean has become more present in Part II, I am hoping we will get to learn more about what it is that makes him so special.
Also, on a side note, does anyone think it possible that Sal is actually in love with Dean? Will they get together in the end?

Hooked again on Dean?

Now that Sal has spent a year away from Dean, he seems more enamored with him than ever. The first few chapters of Part II brought me to realize, however, that as an audience we do not know much about the character of Dean. As readers, we know only what Sal has told us, and Sal cannot help but see Dean in a nearly-divine light. For this reason, I see Sal as an unreliable narrator (thank you, AP lit vocab words). When I separate Dean from the compliments and obsession, he ceases to be the admirable character I envisioned.
While we were following Sal's adventure with his Mexican family, Dean was living a completely different life. He managed to get a job at a railroad that paid well, and began to settle down in a family, but then blew all the family cash on a car on a whim. He abandoned his daughter, Amy Moriarty, and her mother Camille without a second glance. "Without a qualm" (p. 103), he left Galatea Dunkel at a motel when she went broke. Then he begged Marylou on his knees to take him back, and nearly exploded his engine on the road. Is this really the kind of man Sal should be emulating? Even this new, 'mature' Dean seems highly self-centered and irresponsible. Sal admires his free spirit, but at this point in the novel Dean is looking more and more like an immature fool than a misunderstood genius.

Response

     I agree with Anike, Sal has not changed, Sal does seem like the same guy from the beginning of the novel. He’s been through so many new experiences and meet so many new people and yet they are all just memories. He has not put them to use and seems unaffected by his experiences. I also feel like Anike, frustrated by Sal’s inability to do anything with his time spent away. Sal has been a man of contradictions, he is actually the opposite of everything that people perceive him to be.  Sal is regarded by all who know him as a good friend but Remi was terrified that he would steal his girlfriend. He also destroyed Remi’s dinner with his stepfather by getting drunk and making a fool out of himself. Sal is said to be a good guy but he ditches Terry without saying goodbye to be with another women on the road. He is said to be talented by he lacks the ability to write under difficult circumstances and every time he presents his work it is rejected by professionals. People say that he’s hard working, but he has shirked every responsibility, as Anike has said. He seems to be incapable of making up for his mistakes. People seem to be very generous when it comes to interpreting his personality and attributing positive traits to him. Sal does not even seem to have good intentions. I am not sure what to make of him at this point.  

On the Road: Theme

When I began the novel On the Road, glorifying the old American West seemed to be the most conspicuous theme. In the beginning, the East represents home, shelter, intelligence, routine and safety to Sal. Originally Sal has lost his interest and inspiration for his home in the East. He decides that the East no longer inspires him to create the type of writing worthy of him. He needs a change and the West seemed like the kind of change that could help him write his greatest work. The West represents mystery, intrigue, adventure, and inspiration. The novel, through the narration of Sal, celebrated the wilder side of America. The West has the underlying American motto of “the melting pot”. The author conveys this diversity through the different types of people that Sal is exposed to on his journey of self-exploration in the West. He spends a great majority of his time with people in the middle and lower working class. This shows off the working spirit of American. Sal takes on different odd jobs while on his trip around the country. He is a cop, cotton picker, wander (vagabond) and an author. The differences in these careers allow him to meet types of people who he had never been exposed to in the East. He goes to the Opera and dresses up nice, thus showing him that the West also has culture and an upper class as well. These two different classes of people are also represented in his two different groups of friends. He started to drift from the “snobbier” group, which I thought were the type of friends who belonged to the upper class. I guess this shows that an author’s normal position in society during Jack’s time was with the middle and working class. As Sal travels and becomes more familiar with the land and its people, the West begins to become tamer to him. He sees that it was not so different from the people and places that he left behind.  Sal begins to yearn for home and what it used to provide, like family and stability.  I think the theme has started to turn into - no matter how far you roam, home will always call you back.   

Delirious

                This story is just a continuous repetition of Jacks puzzlement but with different experiences and tales. He isn't progressing in his lifestyle and just finds himself in the same situation but with different people. He doesn't know what he wants in life and just thinks that whatever he is doing at the moment and wherever he is is his "fate" and he is bound to stay there forever. "My back began to ache. But it was beautiful kneeling and hiding in that earth: if I felt like resting I did, with my face on the pillow of brown moist earth. Birds sang an accompaniment. I thought I had found my life's work." I doubt he actually even enjoys his new job and just tells himself that he loves it so that he can believe that all of his work and sacrifices were worth it.
                The problem with Jack is that he gets too caught up in other peoples lives. He originally started out on the road in order to achieve a single goal and now he's forgetting his purpose. "I forgot all about the East and all about Neal and Allen and the bloody road." He thinks that by getting involved with others, he can ignore his own purpose and just start a new life, but fate won't give it to him that easily. "Everything was collapsing" and before he knows it, "I was on the road again."
                Now he's left his little Mexican family and hasn't gained much from it. He ended up having to borrow ANOTHER 50 dollars from his mother, "my mother had saved my lazy ass again.", and now he's almost a hobo. "I had a dollar left. I sat on the low cement wall in back of a Hollywood parking lot and made the sandwiches using a piece of flat wood I found on the ground and cleaned to spread the mustard.... This was my last night in Hollywood and I was spreading mustard on my lap in back of a parkinglot john."
                Truthfully, I believe he's done this to himself. He should've just stayed on track and not gone down "the wrong road" which he's done all too many times. This boy better pick himself up and do something soon otherwise he'll just end up like the "Ghost" of an old man. "The Ghost was a shriveled, little old man with a paper satchel who claimed he was headed for 'Canady'." What Jack and the old man both have in common is that they have their own destinations that they think they're headed too but never reach.

Response to Emily

I agree with what you have to say about Sal seeking for a long lasting, true love life. The experiences he shared with Terry led me to believe he was maturing not only as a person, but as a future caring husband and father. It was evident that he got the job of cotton picker because he felt obligated to provide for a family that wasn't even his, but he took the role of the common man of the house and stepped up to provide for them. Since he moved on from Terry, I thought it would be hard for him to find another girl he connected well with, but thankfully he has found Lucille. Not much has been said about Lucille, but just to guess on the kind of woman Sal wants and needs, she pleases him sexually, knows how to have a good time, and is someone interesting who is full of surprises. From the beginning of the book it has been stated and restated that Sal is looking for his true personality, but a partner in love is a very large part of one’s personality, and so it seems fit to say that, just how he was subconsciously looking for his personality, he has also been subconsciously looking for true love. Finding out who he truly is will be hard, but if he finds his soul mate, the road to self-fulfillment will be easier and more enjoyable. 

Dean's Return

So Dean is back and is looking as lively as ever. He has again left a girl and gone back to Marylou and is back with Sal to go on another adventure after not seeing each other for over a year. As always, Dean is talking nonsense and doing whatever his impulse recommends. I don’t think seeing Dean again will be good for Sal because Sal was starting to mature and getting his life in order more or less and with Dean there it might just become a circle and Sal will end up going back to his old adventure seeking character. Sal thinks that Dean is changed and on his way to maturity, but how does leaving a wife with a kid behind and buying a car he can’t afford and driving it across the country show any signs of maturity. This shows that Sal is naïve and is somewhat star-struck by Dean and his wild ways.

Throughout the book, mistreatment of women has been a blatant issue but no character seems to have realized it or addressed it until now. Sal mistreated women, Dean mistreats them and cheats on them all the time, and now the most recent example of Ed, who marries a woman and then leaves her stranded with nothing once he gets annoyed of her. Sal says “the truth of the matter is that we don’t understand our women; we blame on them and it’s all our fault.” This shows how Sal has been learning to take responsibility for his actions and accepting that the blame should be put on him on some occasions. This also shows how he accepts that the men mistreat the woman, but he excuses it by saying that it is because they just don’t understand them. This brings me back to earlier thoughts I have shared about Sal unconsciously trying to find true love and not just another girl to have a nice night with. It all started with Terry and hopefully we will see that this true love is found with Lucille, who he wants to marry.

At first I saw Dean as the protagonist of the story, but now I see him as the antagonist because he is the key to Sal’s destruction. He leads Sal into paths that shape Sal in a way that he doesn’t need to be and so he shapes him wrong, and because Sal stupidly looks up to him, he won’t say no to Dean.

Response to Jon

I agree with Jon, it seems that sometimes Sal takes a greater interest in others than himself. This is not selflessness but I think it comes from low self esteem. I often think he has this adoration for others because he does not find his own life worth thinking about. In a way, it is mildly ridiculous that he is so infatuated with other people, like Dean and Carlo. I think this constant interest in others makes people like him a lot more than his personality deserves. Sal is very easily amused and in turn is also very easily taken in by the charm of other people. I think his eagerness to like and be liked gets him in trouble more often then he would like. He seems to collect the type of people who are mildly insane to amuse himself. As I venture further and further into the book, I really must say that I like Sal less and less. He almost becomes impossible to like. He alienates his friends and he destroys his love life. It is no wonder that he no longer has a wife. I am hoping that part two of this novel is a lot more exciting than part one. I hope also that Sal gains some sort of a personality, which does not include habits that I detest, but I feel like this is not likely. I am rapidly losing hope for On the Road!      

Sal's Love Life

What is it that Sal wants? I seriously cannot decide, and I suppose the reason for that is that he cannot decide either. He alienated most of his friends and it does not seem that he has come any closer to his creating his new novel. In fact, it has not even been mentioned. So, is the journey about finding love? It’s obvious that Sal has had a hard time with women in the recent past. He has been swindled and rejected by women of all shapes and sizes since the beginning of the novel. The novel begins with Sal discussing his recent divorce and how it influenced his need to see the West.  Sal’s character finally finds a form of love with a Mexican woman named Terry. I think because of the amount of rejection that he has had over the past couple of months traveling, he has lost faith in his ability to be with a woman. He makes up all sorts of excuses why Terry is not the right woman for him. He thinks that the only reason she was going along with him is because she is a hustler. This suspicion causes her to believe him to be a pimp. Finally they both get over their fears and make love for the first time. They travel together and he ends up meeting Terry's family and friends. They have this very easy going attitude and they keep talking about tomorrow. They speak about tomorrow as if it were some mystical place where all their problems would be solved. This "tomorrow" mentality meant that they did not search for jobs but expected jobs to find them. It basically puts their lives into the hands of fate or destiny.

Finally Sal secures a job as a cotton picker. He is slower and less efficient than the other men that he works with. Through this experience he gets his first signs of jealousy and want. Although, it did not seem like he did much to improve himself. He also took a fatherly role for a while. Terry had a son and Sal looked upon him fondly. He started to enjoy the quite peaceful life of a family. He liked the sense of being the bread winner. It makes him proud of himself but then he starts to get bored. He begins to long for his old life on the road and in the East. He ditches Terry and her son and makes his way to New York for a better tomorrow. 

Response to Mona

Mona, what an interesting idea you have brought up!
This feeling of "sonder" has been one I have questioned my whole life, sitting in the car and watching other people pass by, and looking out the window in New York City observing the endless stretch of buildings before me. Being in a bustling city like New York always drives me to feel the true impact of all the individuals that coexist around me. This feeling is something that has always intrigued me. The idea that so many people, all over Earth and perhaps scattered throughout the universe itself, have their own stories, goals, jokes, and experiences. Everyone is an individual, and everyone is the protagonist in his or her own novel. It can truly make you feel small, to realize that you are not the only one who has this complex network of memories stored inside your head; that everyone around you has an individual consciousness.
When I am driving, or just walking about, I often look up at a window and try to imagine what that unseeable person is doing. Where he or she came from; what he or she wants. This is usually a great way for me to come up with characters for my short stories. It is also a frustrating practice, since one can never really come to know another's story, and is trapped as the main individual of his or her own life.
I completely agree that this is something Sal is finding hard to deal with in his life. Until he accepts that he cannot fully know anyone but himself, he will continue to feel lost and alone.

Will Sal Ever Change?

After all the lives he has experimented with, Sal finally seems to be exhausted at the end of Part 1. He has gathered a multitude of experiences, but he does not yet know what to make of them. He returns to his aunt's house seemingly even more lost than he was when he left. His experiences seem to parallel his aunt's great "rag rug", woven from the clothes that have been in his family for years. Sal has traveled to strange and interesting places; he has met new and mad people. However, these memories are scattered in his mind like the great rag rug; pieced together but with no conceivable meaning.
Sal describes the great rag rug as "rich as the passage of time itself". At the end of his trip on the road, Sal seems to have both grown and stayed the same all at once. He gets a taste of what a life of responsibility entails through his time with Terry, but he also learns to shirk his duties with the Mexican men who always say "manana". He seems to understand the power of love, but then has no problem leaving Terry and necking with another girl on the road. Sal is a man of contradictions; perhaps because he himself does not know who he is.
When he returns home the first thing he regrets is missing Dean again. Clearly, Sal still has his same old obsession for Dean. I find it frustrating to follow the story of a man who seems incapable of growth.

Response to Chow

 Although you do bring up a good point, I believe that Sal's loneliness is his own fault. If all you do is just sit and listen to people stories as they come and go by and never attempt to develop a relationship between yourself and others who have similar personalities, than it’s no wonder why you're always alone! Then again, Sal doesn't even have a personality to start with so he can't exactly relate to anyone either. I don't understand how he can expect to find friends and end his solitude if he doesn't discover first what makes him love himself and life. He's kind of like a sponge, absorbing his surroundings but doing nothing about it. 

It is interesting that he enjoys other people’s everyday lives and listens to every word they have to say because I know that if I were him, I would get sick and tired after listening to only 3 people talk endlessly. 

Individualism

The fact that Sal is completely obsessed with other people's lives can be described as almost meddlesome. However, it can also be seen, on a more positive note, as being curious about the happenings of others and how they exist even though he cannot see them everyday. He has been indeed lonesome most of his life after being let go by his wife and losing his ability to write but, now he has found a way to undue his loneliness. He inquires about the lives of those he hitchhikes with and listens with intrigue. Usually, most people are annoyed by the stories that strangers divulge to them but, Sal is different. It is these stories that he is after. The only way for him to escape his cage of alienation from the rest of the world is through these conversations that he has with people. The reader also becomes apparent of the reason as to why Sal is constantly lonely when not talking to others: he understands that, though he has his own life to live, so do others and they continue on with their lives without caring about others even though they to have their own lives to run. This idea of individualism drives Sal to sadness since he realizes how alone everyone is including himself. His form of correction though is by trying to include others in his world of conversation as to fight of the individualistic spell.

Sonder

                Sonder is the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk. Jack is attempting to learn all of these stories and that's why I think he is always to happy to hitchhike with strangers. Whenever he gets into someone's car, he learns new stories and a new passageway to the few lives he's already learned of is created. "I love the way everybody says L.A. on the Coast, it's their one and only golden town when all is said and done." Jack is so fascinated and filled with admiration for other people, it's not wonder he possesses "sonder".
                Realizing that the world is more complex and grand than just you can make one feel incredibly insignificant and lonely. "'I'm very glad you let me sit with you, I was very lonely and I've been traveling a hell of a lot.'" It's like learning that there is so much more out there in the universe than just Earth. There could be a whole other planet filled with life forms similar to us, and we just don't know it. How small and insignificant would you feel?
                Jack constantly seeks out the stories of other peoples lives but they all come and go, none of them every really stay with him. As many people as Jack meet or as many little adventures he goes on, he'll always end up back alone on the road. This is why it is impossible to know EVERYONE'S lives. I would suppose that after a while, with all of those experiences in mind, one would become crazed. "I don't know why. I began getting the foolish paranoiac idea that Beatrice---her name--- was a common little hustler who worked the nudes for a guys bucks, and that she had regular appointments like ours in L.A." Overwhelming his brain with all different types of "souls" can be reason as to why Jack might confuse people and go a little "mad", which is what I think he's been seeking this whole time. I also suppose that once you've meet so many people and learned all the different combinations of ones "soul" or personality, you would know exactly who you like and what you want. I was at first surprised that Jack and Beatrice got along in the beginning so well and so quickly but Jack is just experienced with people in that sense and therefor knew that he liked her.

Response to Chow

I agree with what you're saying Chow about Sal fighting relentlessly the need to grow up and face real responsibilities. I don’t think he’s quite ready yet to mature and become an adult with his life in track and somewhat figured out yet. There are moments though were I see glimpses of his yearning to find out who and what he wants to be and take on the lifestyle of not a nomad, like he’s been for this voyage, but a steady person that knows what he’s doing. For instance, although he did a horrible job at it, he took initiative and realized that he was indebted to his aunt and did the responsible thing and did what he could to pay her back. He also is finally starting to see that sometimes settling down for love can be a good thing, as he experienced with Terry. I also hope to see more of Terry in the future because I feel like she brought out a new and better man in Sal. A Sal that wants to be depended on by people rather than him being dependent on them. I also hope to see more of Remi. He was a very positive character from my point of view and I feel like his presence around Sal will have a positive impact and help Sal leave his old childish ways behind.

Response to Emily

I agree entirely with your idea of a different outlook on Sal's character. He has almost completely changed from the start of the book. At first, he showed little to no emotion and now he's begun to act like a real clown. He's actually taking on the characteristics of Dean in the sense that he is constantly getting drunk and is doing ridiculous acts that have heavy consequences which no longer concern him. He is a changed man and will continue to follow this act. However, how far is he willing to go? I do believe that sooner or later he will come to his limit and will have to make a decision: whether to cross it or turn back. With this sudden change of attitude, I believe he will turn back when the time comes but who knows. 

The Fight Within

After spending several weeks with Remi in his shack, Sal decides he needs a job, so Remi gets him one as a guard in the shipyard barracks. One night, before a group of sailors are to ship off in the morning, Sal attempts to keep order in the noisy barracks. Instead of keeping order, however, he ends up getting drunk with sailors and raising the American flag upside down the next morning-an offense he is told he could go to jail for. Later, Sal is becoming tired and lonely in San Francisco, and his relationship with Remi and Lee Ann starts to deteriorate. After a night of gambling away all of their money at a race track, Remi and Lee Ann have a huge fight and Remi decides to break off his relationship with Lee Ann and his friendship with Sal. He only asks that Lee Ann and Sal pretend that everything is normal when his stepfather comes to town in a week. Both agree. Instead of behaving, though, Sal runs into one of his old friends from Denver, Roland Major, and they both get drunk and ruin the night for Remi, ruining what is left of their friendship. Sal, feeling as if he has reached the end of the road in his trip, decides to head back East. These events only prove what I have been saying along: Sal is fighting the necessity to grow up with his will to remain young and wild. It is also evident that his young side is getting the best of him. Now, it is apparent that he is probably happy like this but, the real question that remains to be answered is: Is this new lifestyle good for him?

Response to Emily's

I find it so funny that all of us have pretty much come to the same conclusion on Jack. Every single person who has responded to my post has had the same view as me. You and Anike both believe that Jack is pretty much a worthless friend. I know it sounds harsh but it's true and I'm surprised that all of his friends have put up with him thus far. Honestly, if I had a friend like Jack, I would have kicked him out of my life a while ago because he is an irresponsible drunk who expects his friends to mommy him. I'm curious to see wether or not he learns his lesson and actually starts to work for what he wants rather than have his friends give him money and carry him through. Otherwise, if Jack continues down this path, I doubt he will get far.

Response to Mona

        Mona, I have to agree that I am also beginning to dislike Sal a great deal. Despite the fact that Remi is not my favorite character either, I was extremely annoyed when Sal could not be bothered to act as a good friend for one evening. Although Remi does not have many likable characteristics, he at least has a strong understanding of what he wants. Sal cannot seem to make up his mind; in one chapter he is falling in love with Lee-Ann, and in another he is running away with a Mexican girl he met on the bus. The only desire he is sure about in the entire novel is his wish to spend time with Dean. Sal's "follower" personality is probably what bothers me most about his character; I do not find him to be a relatable character in any way. Like you mentioned, Sal is waiting to have everything handed to him. He does not have the will or determination to work for what he wants. At this point, I am also itching to get back to Dean, just so I will not have to deal with Sal anymore.

Not Cut out to be a Cop

       When Sal lands a job with Remi as a cop, his character is revealed through contrast with the job's requirements. Sal's personality is almost perfectly opposite to the personalities of his co-workers. The man from Alcatraz is always dying to make arrests and takes his actions to an extreme just to prove a point. Sal could not have less personal opinions or feelings of self-rightiousness; he is often satisfied just floating around and not offending anybody. This is probably why he is so easy to get along with. When he knocks on the door of the room of some young men drinking and shouting in the middle of the night, he does not assert himself, even though he knows it is time to do so. He merely explains he could lose him job if the noise does not go down, and then accepts a drink when he is offered one. By the end of the night, Sal is completely drunk and raises the American flag upside down. In my opinion, this represents his skewed idea of what it means to be an American. 

       Almost everything Sal says about America seems to be clash with what many people regard as American values or the "American Dream". When he and Remi begin stealing food, Sal remarks that he believes everyone in America is a natural born thief. Remi justifies his actions by quoting Truman, "We must cut down the cost of living". Both men interpret everything around them in a way that best suits their desires. Remi describes himself as a sort of Robin Hood, and he is always getting into trouble. Sal goes along with whatever is happening, and does not really stick to one idea or another. His bland personality makes him easy to get along with, but it also makes him an uninteresting character. 

Answer to Mona's Post

I completely agree with Mona. Sal is an extremely unlikeable character. He would rather get drunk than try to help his friend impress his stepfather, like his friend begged him to do a few days before. Then after destroying his friend’s chances of impressing his stepfather, he does not even bother to apologize. He also dreams about stealing his friend’s girl. He thinks about running away with her, which is completely anti-heroic. These types of character flaws are almost impossible to like. If the man character is disinteresting and bordering on evil, it’s difficult to continue reading. I think that Jack is banking on the reader’s strong feeling for Dean for them to continue reading the story. I have serious trouble  finding any interest in Sal’s tale at all. With a difficult main character who collects even more difficult friends, it is  hard to continue reading the novel. I’m just hoping that Sal has some sort of dynamic change in his personality, but I’m losing hope fast.   

Sal, Who Has He Become?

Sal’s character continuously perplexes me. At first Sal seemed to be a man without any personality worth noting. All of his friends had enough personality for themselves and Sal, but as his travels continued he started to gain certain traits from his friends. All the traits seemed to be those which one would not like to acquire, such as recklessness, spontaneity, and irresponsibility. The first example of Sal’s newly acquired personality is his inability to keep a job. Sal’s first job, which Dean gets him, he does not even show up for. He drinks beer and sleeps in late and completely misses the first day, even though he desperately needs the money for food, travel, and to repay his aunt. Sal’s second job is as a cop. He ends up stealing food from the cafeteria, which is ironic because this sort of behavior is exactly what he is trying to prevent. He gets drunk on the job with a bunch of rowdy workers, and accidently hangs the American flag upside down, which he later finds out he could have been arrested for. Sal’s second flaw was his attraction to trouble making friends. Sal befriends the type of people who condone stealing, drinking, and cheating. They all talk crazy nonsense and they are all easy amused and irritated. A prime example is Remi. Remi teaches Sal that the world owes them something and if they don’t get it then they should take it. This is the reason Sal begins to frequently steal. Sal is always complaining about getting in trouble but if he really wished to stay out of it then he should probably have chosen a better group of friends.      

Sal's Developing Humility

This part of the book was a very fast read for me because I was excited to see how Sal and Terry’s relationship would develop. At first I thought Terry would be just another one night stand for Sal because that’s all that every other girl has been to him. I thought he just wanted her for company that night, but I enjoyed seeing how they developed to truly care about one another and how they stayed together and even made plans to go to New York together instead. I also like how Sal is becoming a humble character as opposed to before when all he would think about partying, drinking, and women. His demonstration of humility is visible when he realizes he has to take care of Terry now and her son; he is finally assuming the role of the responsible one in the group. He shows his eagerness to care for “his girl” when he gets the tough and barely profiting job of cotton picker, in which he is ecstatic to make some money and even feels bad that Terry and her son are helping him and even doing more work than him. I think his motivation for taking initiative to work is Rickey and Ponzo because they always procrastinate and leave everything for later and don’t seem to be able to do anything but drink and get kicked out by Big Rosey. The fact that Sal doesn't even understand what “manana” means but thinks it means heaven serves to me as a foreshadow that Sal is going to find what he is looking for soon in the future, and maybe not tomorrow per say, but maybe once he gets back to New York he will have something awaiting him that will finally make him happy for life.