Outline

The characters of On the Road epitomize what it means to be a member of the Beat Generation. Throughout the novel, the main characters fight against conformity and partake in wild, irrational activities that push society's boundaries.

I. Rejection of Conformity.

       a. Need to keep moving rather than settle down in a suburban lifestyle.

              i. Backlash against the conformist 50’s mentality. 

       b.Challenging socially accepted behavior.

              i. No interest in settling down to form a nuclear family unit. 

              ii. Refusal to look for a steady job              

              iii. Rejection of monogamy

II. Defiance of authority.

       a. Dean’s constant theft of cars, gas, and alcohol.

       b. Sal and Remy’s continual theft while on duty as night cops

              i. “We must cut down the cost of living” (p. 64)

III. Experimentation with drugs, sex, and alcohol.

       a. References to marijuana and other drugs.

       b. Unconventional sex experiments

              i. Dean wants Sal to have sex with Mary Lou 

       c. Abundant consumption of alcohol

IV. The pursuit of clarity and freedom. 

       a. Dean looks for true true freedom from societal constraints

              i. “He was BEAT- the root, the soul of Beatific” (p. 184)

              ii. Strives to challenge the norm

              iii. Need to keep moving and search for meaning-"It".