“…because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes “Awww!”” – Pg 8
This quote stuck out the most to me after reading the first three chapters of Kerouac’s On The Road. In it, the character of Dean Moriarty (the man who initiated Sal’s desire to take to the road) is being described. Dean obviously lives a life on the edge. (Indeed, we find that he was just released from reform school before he meets Sal.) He is impulsive, passionate, and constantly on the go. In short, he is a man who thrives on self-gratification. Sal is instantly captivated by him, and in his search for an escape from his dull life he chooses to follow him west and experience adventures of his own. With the help of Dean’s “mad” character, Jack Kerouac’s definition of the “road trip” comes to light; the search for ecstasy and adventure through spontaneity and constant movement across the vast land of America.
Question: Why do you think the Beat Generation felt the need to live their lives this way?
I agree with Nadia's post in that the narrator started his journey to the west because of his deep connection with Dean. The narrator displays a sense of jealously as he describes Dean's ecstatic personality yet he also hints at a bit of admiration. Although I agree with Nadia's thoughts, I choose a different quote to summarize Kerouac's definition of a "road trip".
ReplyDelete"it wasn't only because I was a writer and needed new experiences that I wanted to know Dean more, and because my life hanging around the campus had reached the completion of its cycle and was stultified, but because, somehow in spite of our difference in character, he reminded me of some long-lost brother (Kerouac 7)"
Dean was the push the narrator needed to start his journey but before Dean it was merely the narrator's own wish to travel west. A small ambition that he never thought of fulfilling until now. The narrator puts off his writing and goes on a sort of vacation. Thus the definition of a "road trip", builds up to be a time for new beginnings, freedom and entertainment.
Question: What are the risks of taking a journey like the narrator's?