Let's just enjoy the ride

     Like many of my group members, I have been struggling to find a theme for the novel thus far. I think this is most likely due to the fact that Sal does not face a true conflict, and he does not possess a goal. Most novels are written in a way where the main character is struggling to achieve something. Sal is a lost soul, and therefore he does not know what he wants. This, I believe, is why many of us cannot seem to get involved in the story.     
     While reading Part II, however, I believe I may have reached a conclusion about the theme. So far in my reading, I have begun to feel that perhaps the ‘point’ of the book is not to convey a message to the readers, but to convey a feeling of the era. On the Road captures the adventures of a restless generation. Maybe we are analyzing the novel too strictly.      
     Toward the beginning of Part II, Carlo says he has an announcement to make. This announcement is more of a question than a statement. He says, “What kind of sordid business are you on now? I mean, man, whither goest thou? Whither goest thou, America in thy shiny car at night?” (p. 110). Nobody answers him because, in truth, they do not know where they are going or why they feel the need to move. When the boys get bored, or run out of things to say, they just make a plan to go somewhere else. I believe Dean’s reluctance to stay in one place is what makes him so attractive to the other characters. As teenagers, we all often wish we could hop in a car and just drive away. Sal’s generation is lost; they are circling America to find a place to call home. 
     Carlo has become my favorite character because of his interesting poetry rambles. He walks around with his sheets of poetry and only speaks when he has something to say. His personality is quite different from Dean’s; Dean is aways blurting out his thoughts and emotions. When listening to the music box for instance, he exclaims “Ah! Whee!” (p. 110). I find his comments rather irritating. I think overall, however, we need to be more lenient in our analyses. We cannot look for a concrete structure in On the Road because it is not built the way most novels are. I suppose we just have to keep on reading and try to enjoy the ride.