Response to Luis' Post

As Luis expressed in his first response to the novel, I too believe that Dean is an icon of adventure in Sal’s mind. I think that the stories and experiences that Dean collected, inspired Sal to make a change in his own life. In a way, Dean is a catalyst that makes Sal thirst for his own experiences and stories. The West is a mystery that Sal wants to uncover and he feels more confident conquering it with his friends, like Dean, by his side.

Luis asked in his response: “Is he [Sal] looking for an adventure he can write about, is he looking for love, or is he just in it for the thrill of following Dean and finding what it is that he can truly enjoy in life?” I believe that the answer to this is that he doesn’t know exactly what he is searching for or what he is expecting to find. Sal is in it for a fresh perceptive on his own life. The thrill will come with the adventure and new stories and ideas for his writing will come with his new collection of life experiences. The journey seems also to be one of self-discovery, as Luis stated. At this point in his life he has lost himself, and the journey is meant to help him find his way again. I think the journey will help him love life and his writing again.