Comment on Chow

Chow, I think your first point is the strongest. It’s an interesting idea. The characters in On the Road often feel nostalgic; it is as if time passing is a loss of the present. They often describe that melancholy feeling waking up the next morning after a party. The excitement has died, the people have gone, and oftentimes, only a feeling of emptiness remains. Everything that seemed important no longer seems to matter. Perhaps the reason why On the Road is so repetitive is because the characters themselves are trying to relive their youth and regain a clarity they thought they had.
 
I like your third point but I disagree with some parts of it. I agree that the mistreatment of women was another aspect of rebelling against society, but I do not think women were completely objectified as part of society. Dean has a strong love for Marylou, and although he often treats her badly, she too partakes in their adventures and enjoys the spirit of ‘Beat’. Both Sal and Dean struggle with their need to rebel and their natural human desires. At the end, however, I did not get the vibe that both Dean and Sal recognized the importance of family. Sal makes the decision to conform, but Dean disappears as suddenly as he arrived. I do not think he had any intention of turning his life around, and this is exactly why Sal admires him.