Anike, I really like your second theme and find it to be your strongest. Kerouac brought up the idea of the Beat Generation for a specific reason: to have the readers feel a certain relation to the unique lifestyle that was most popular during that time. Though I did not realize this at first, I do now and understand why Kerouac wrote the novel in the way he did: to show how one man switches from one conventional lifestyle to a more free bohemian one in order to escape boredom which originally ruled his life.
Now, though there isn't really a weak point in the point you make towards your first theme, I do not agree with some of what you wrote. I do not believe that Dean and his gang are all moving in order to find absolute freedom. I believe that most of the gang are moving around because Dean manipulated them into doing so. Kerouac leaves us clues in the novel which tells us that Dean can be considered a shepherd among his sheep (the gang). Also, I do not believe that Dean is searching for absolute freedom. He has already found that somewhat. What I believe he s doing is running away from his past and in doing so, continues to escape to the road and moves on with his life without facing any serious problems.
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