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.