Response to Jon

The point of view of the On The Road is Sal speaking in past tense. Sal is reminiscing about his past and his adventure through his memories. If forgetting the past is truly the theme of the novel, as Jon has stated in his reaction, then Kerouac would not have written the book in this manner. I disagree with Jon, I believe that the theme of the On the Road is not forgetting your past but remembering it and then having the strength to not let it affect your future. The past can shape who you are but you should be living in the present. It is not forgetting about the mistakes you made or where you came from but using the knowledge you gained in future situations. Sal remembers his values that were forged in his past but he did not let that stop him from making new ones. So in a way Jon is right, it is about moving on but at the same time never losing who you are in the process.