Term Paper- first 500 words

When On the Road was published in 1957, it brought about a cultural paradigm shift that glamorized freedom, youth, and experimentation. In his novel, Jack Kerouac takes the reader on a journey through the adventures he has shared with the legendary Beat authors Neal Cassady, Allen Ginsberg, and William Burroughs. With stream-of-consciousness writing, first hand encounters, and philosophical digressions, Kerouac shows his readers what it means to be Beat. 

Throughout the novel, the main characters fight against conformity and partake in wild, irrational activities that push society's boundaries. Dean, who represents Cassady, shows continual rebellion against the idea of settling down and dedicating to a family. This mindset was shared by many of his fellow Beat authors, and was notably a backlash against the conformist fifties mentality of the nuclear family. Dean and Ed Dunkel (Al Hinkle), often abandon their wives to instead keep moving along the West. Their adventures include wild drinking, sex, and drugs. Rather than looking for a steady job to be able to settle down and support a family, Dean, Ed, Sal (Jack Kerouac), and Remi (Henri Cru) prefer to steal when they can and are perfectly content to barely scrape by. 

This backlash can be attributed to the inevitable pendulum swing that often occurs from one generation to another. Emerging from a generation that praised a quiet and stable suburban lifestyle, the Beat Generation swung in the other direction and pursued a wild lifestyle free from any responsibilities. In On the Road, however, their actions often leave behind a trail of damaged wives and mothers who cannot provide for their children. 

Kerouac alludes to this aftermath in On the Road. Since Dean cannot stand the idea of creating a stable family unit and conforming to society’s expectations, the women he leaves behind endure a great deal of suffering. Kerouac describes Camille’s (Carolyn Cassady’s) desperation every time Dean decides to leave for another trip on the road. She is often crying hysterically upstairs, brutally angry and afraid. Dean views her as an annoyance and a chore; from society’s point of view he is irresponsible, irrational, and deeply selfish. Sal, however, admires these qualities as those of a free spirit seeking true understanding of the world around him.

As the novel goes on, Kerouac describes an alliance that has been formed between the women on the other side of the traveling gang. Inez (Diana Hansen) frequently speaks to Camille about her problems. The desperation of these individual women rises above any hopes for a monogamous relationship and nuclear family. In 1990, Carolyn Cassady published her memoir Off the Road, which describes Neal and Jack’s adventures from the female perspective.