On the Road

I suppose I’ve said this in almost every post I’ve written but I honestly I cannot stand this book. Both Sal and Dean have such strange ways on how they approach life. Neither of them seem to have a plan about what they want for the future or who they want to spend their future with. I’m having a hard time understanding what the point of the book is, and also what the point of Sal’s journey to the west is actually for. Sal starts the book as an author looking for some type of inspiration after a creativity sucking divorce. I originally presumed that Sal was suppose to make some sort of character arch which initiates a new type of invigoration for Sal writing. Instead, Sal then becomes a policeman, a field worker, and a pressure cooker sales man. He has not once, since the beginning of the book, mention what he plans to write about or what this journey is helping him accomplish.

            Another things that I’ve notices, that I’ve mention before, is Sal’s inability to keep friends. He angers almost all of them by the time that they have to part way. The only friend that was immune to this was Dean because Dean was this heroic character in Sal’s life. Then as Sal’s journey comes to a close, he becomes tried of Dean and his antics. He parts ways with Dean and his girlfriend in a very hostile manner. The only place where I have seen any character development in Sal is his new tiresome and disapproving perception on Dean’s love life.  As I mention in a previous blog post, On the Road has an underlying theme of unstable relationship between women and men. Sal seems to finally have enough of Dean treatment of women and relationship, which is a small character accomplishment.  Dean again proves to be a character incapable of change, when he ditches his lover and daughter and gets together with his ex- wife. Then his ex-wife runs off with a wealthier man, when she grows tired of Dean. She realizes that she no longer has feeling for him, and no longer desires to be in their somewhat emotionally abusive relationship. Then she returns and Dean takes her back willingly. Even Sal, who seems incapable of seeing anything wrong with Dean at first, hates the idea that the two of them are together again.