Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Freedom Is Not Easy
I think the defining moment in the film was the campfire scene after the characters decide to leave the diner. In this scene, Jack Nicholson's character describes the true meaning of freedom to Billy. This seemed to be the main point of the movie, that true freedom is something that many people claim to have, but do not really know what freedom is. Whenever the prospect of true freedom is revealed to them, they cannot handle it and are “scared” by it. Billy and Wyatt are two characters who are truly free. Throughout the movie, they basically do what feels right at any given point in time. The only hint of responsibility they seem to have is their plan to make it to Mardi Gras in New Orleans before it ends, which is not much of responsibility at all. Their lifestyle reminds me of how Walt Whitman views the ideal road traveler as at war with society. In the end, a man in the truck mindlessly kills both main characters because he hates what they represent. I felt this was symbolic of society in general, that although it may succeed in some cases to eliminate the prospect of true freedom, there will always be those free spirits out there who represent true freedom. Billy and Wyatt were killed, but the fact that they aroused so much attention and reaction showed that they at least succeeded in opening people's eyes to a radical way of life: a truly free life.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
On a Boat
This video portrays America's view of a road trip as a manner of blowing off the real world and doing something no one ever expected, and also drawing attention to your own daring nature. Lets face it, Americans love attention, and this whole movie is about getting attention.
The beginning of the video shows how life is unexpected. They were sitting eating breakfast when their lives were changed. Jorma expects to go on the trip but T-Pain is chosen instead and from that point on he is used as a foil to show the free and powerful nature of those on a road trip.
The other characters on the boat have a wild and crazy Keroac style party, with drinking and fornicating and posing as authority figures (the military uniforms) when they are obviously not mature enough or capable of being authoritative.
The scene where Andy rubs it in Jorma's face that he "has his swim trunks, and his flippy floppies, flipping burgers while [Jorma] is at Kinko's straight flipping copies" portrays a distatse for the normal state of things. Americans basically hate their lives most of the time, and are constantly looking forward to a vacation or any type of escape. This portion of the video shows what life is like when not on a road trip and how the road trip is an escape into an unknown void.
Andy says "oh ma if you could see me now" introducing the idea that being freed from the drugdgery of life is an accomplishment. T-Pain raves about how he "never thought he'd see the day, with a big boat sailing [his] way" showing how Americans don't really believe that they will ever escape from the lives we trap ourselves in.
America is a society of discontented people looking for an escape, whether that be through a road trip or through humor. I think this video has both.
Old Ion Commercial
This ad is definitely meant to represent the resistance to grow up. However, I think it uses the classic image of of being on a roadtrip with friends to communicate that. They appear to be out west, which one can tell from the landscape, and I think that this can be an automatic image created when thinking of a roadtrip in our country--going westward. They are also all in this car together experiencing strange new things. Finally, when they turn around at the the "old age" sign, it is representative of how many times no one wants the roadtrip to stop, that we can escape real life forever and keep on having fun.
Weekend Traffic Scene
Despite the historical aspects of this shot, this scene from Weekend shows the frustrating sides of a road trip. I only want you to watch the first minute and a half because this clip gets annoying quickly.
Alright, you get on the road and begin your adventure. You drive about an hour or so and hit traffic. Your trip is delayed by an uncontrollable entity that forces you to submit to its monotony. Although I feel a road is fun and enjoyable, I further believe that we cannot control every aspect of the "great" road. The road itself is chaotic, frustrating, and at times unrelenting (hint unexpected car accidents). You might say that other people are at fault and the road is just the medium where people are the culprits to your setback. Whether its the road, or other people, road trips are unpredictable.
To an extent, your journey is not in your hands. You have to take whatever the road gives you. The best thing about that is the traveler can either give up or overcome the obstacles. This decision is in your hands and when you decide to persevere that is when the traveler becomes stronger and wiser. Road trips are tests. You create the testament. What will you do when you run into "traffic"? Are you going to develop "road rage" by cursing and blaming others, or figure out another way to get through your situation?
Alright, you get on the road and begin your adventure. You drive about an hour or so and hit traffic. Your trip is delayed by an uncontrollable entity that forces you to submit to its monotony. Although I feel a road is fun and enjoyable, I further believe that we cannot control every aspect of the "great" road. The road itself is chaotic, frustrating, and at times unrelenting (hint unexpected car accidents). You might say that other people are at fault and the road is just the medium where people are the culprits to your setback. Whether its the road, or other people, road trips are unpredictable.
To an extent, your journey is not in your hands. You have to take whatever the road gives you. The best thing about that is the traveler can either give up or overcome the obstacles. This decision is in your hands and when you decide to persevere that is when the traveler becomes stronger and wiser. Road trips are tests. You create the testament. What will you do when you run into "traffic"? Are you going to develop "road rage" by cursing and blaming others, or figure out another way to get through your situation?
The American Traveler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk51ZHlrfs4
It's difficult for me to really know what the true meaning of the road trip is for America; I know what I think a road trip means and this can't help but influence what I see as the general viewpoint of the road trip. But I found this video on YouTube, which I think sums up the general public's view of what a road trip through America is all about. At least I hope this highly optimistic view point represents what many in America feel travel is all about. The people that Matt meets are, as he says, of the utmost importance to him on this trip. All the warm greetings, and the gracious hospitality of a lot of people that welcome him into their home and their open-ness with him, revealing their bizarre hobbies and talents, have a profound effect on him as he travels through out America. A certain line that I really liked in this video was that "you need years" to see everything in America. (1:23) When you look at the states on a map you miss out on what this country is really all about: the vastness of the rich heritage and cultures; the great natural beauty and power; and the relationships you can form with complete strangers through out the entire country. Years must be devoted to the dream of being able to truly say that you have been everywhere and seen everything in this country . You also see how much the people he meets means to him when he is talking about one of the families that invited him into their home and family. He is able to feel and experience something most people, who stay at home and don't take road trips, think of as an abstract, yet extremely pleasant, concept: "American Hospitality." (3:48) There's a very Whitmanesque concept that comes out when he says, "... the right way to approach this American road trip, or really any trip anywhere, is to be open; to be nice, to be polite; and to say yes to everything anyone ever offers you." (4:41-4:54) To me, all of this goes to show that we aren't too far removed from the world Whitman spoke for, at least idealistically. It also represents a very nationalistic image of what the road trip should be made for, growing closer to one's country. To me this is a very American view of what a good road trip should be.
(2008, May 23). Video Title: NYTimes.com - American Road Trip: Reminiscence.
It's difficult for me to really know what the true meaning of the road trip is for America; I know what I think a road trip means and this can't help but influence what I see as the general viewpoint of the road trip. But I found this video on YouTube, which I think sums up the general public's view of what a road trip through America is all about. At least I hope this highly optimistic view point represents what many in America feel travel is all about. The people that Matt meets are, as he says, of the utmost importance to him on this trip. All the warm greetings, and the gracious hospitality of a lot of people that welcome him into their home and their open-ness with him, revealing their bizarre hobbies and talents, have a profound effect on him as he travels through out America. A certain line that I really liked in this video was that "you need years" to see everything in America. (1:23) When you look at the states on a map you miss out on what this country is really all about: the vastness of the rich heritage and cultures; the great natural beauty and power; and the relationships you can form with complete strangers through out the entire country. Years must be devoted to the dream of being able to truly say that you have been everywhere and seen everything in this country . You also see how much the people he meets means to him when he is talking about one of the families that invited him into their home and family. He is able to feel and experience something most people, who stay at home and don't take road trips, think of as an abstract, yet extremely pleasant, concept: "American Hospitality." (3:48) There's a very Whitmanesque concept that comes out when he says, "... the right way to approach this American road trip, or really any trip anywhere, is to be open; to be nice, to be polite; and to say yes to everything anyone ever offers you." (4:41-4:54) To me, all of this goes to show that we aren't too far removed from the world Whitman spoke for, at least idealistically. It also represents a very nationalistic image of what the road trip should be made for, growing closer to one's country. To me this is a very American view of what a good road trip should be.
(2008, May 23). Video Title: NYTimes.com - American Road Trip: Reminiscence.
This is from the movie Road Trip. This particular scene captures the freedom you feel while on the road. These guys are singing the song I Wanna Rock, and they really seem to have lost any inhibition about just acting crazy for a little while. I have been on road trips where I feel the same way and have sung along as loud as I can to random classics. In this movie they have stolen a bus to try and go rescue a dirty video before it reaches the main character's girlfriend. It is a college trip to say the least and I could only hope to one day have some of the experiences they did in this movie. This scene captures what a road trip is in American culture, they set out for one purpose, but ended up finding so many different things along the way. It seems like no matter what you set off to do in a road trip, unexpected experiences are at every rest stop.
The Road: Old vs. New
Despite the fact that we all travel the same road of life, that road differs from person to person, as each person seeks a slightly different destination and takes varying pit stops along the way. What's especially notable is the difference in the choices made by youth and seniors. Due to growing up under different circumstances, our values differ from our grandparents, as does our humor. This clip from "Da Ali G Show" may be funny to you, but it's probably not funny to your grandmother. This clip also illustrates the fact that our own road is one that's open to your own interpretation--this clip may be funny to you, for example, or it may be saddening to see an old man being made fun of. The road is also a repeating one: Just as counterculture films like "Easy Rider" existed to rebel against parents and an older generation, so do comedy shows such as "Da Ali G Show" and "Jackass" exist to rebel against parents. Whether you deem it humorous or not is put one stop--or bump--along your journey.
Born To Be Wild
Here is the into to Easy Rider featuring Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf. As two men ride around on their choppers with the wind blowing in their hair we can hear the lyrics "Get your motors runnin', Head out on the highway, Lookin' for adventure in whatever comes our way." Since so many people go on road trips for adventure or freedom I think the combination of the audio and video in this clip really depicts what a road trip seems to mean to the majority of travelers. Because the men are on motorcycles and not an enclosed vehicle, the ideas of freedom, adventure, excitement and maybe even danger are strongly emphasized. For the most part these things are what drive people to take trips.
Whitesnake
Below is the music video for the song Here I Go Again by Whitesnake, I suggest you watch the whole thing for obvious reasons. Once you get past the big hair and the hot girl dancing on the cars the song actually gains a little meaning. For many Americans striking out on the road is an act of independence, a way to leave a previous life behind in the search of a new one. It is just this act that the lyrics of the song speak primarily about and in the video itself we see some of the classic imagery associated with the modern american road trip i.e nice cars.
"College Road Trip"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljSKc7T9M68
The trailer for "College Road Trip" starred by Raven-Symone is an ideal video that depicts the popular American view of a road trip. It seems that most of the time, parents would be the one bringing up the idea. They often have to beg their kids because kids feel that to be on a road trip with family is basically similar to being in a dungeon. Parents would often insist that road trips are great ways to bond with each other whereas children like Raven in the movie think it is all too lovey-dovey and downright annoying. Road trips also lead me to think of singing in the American culture. The dad is singing in the trailer and so did the couple who are driving the father and daughter when their car broke down. There is simply way too much time in the car. You can’t talk forever to suppress the silence! Why not listen and sing to the music? Another great way to have fun!
The trailer for "College Road Trip" starred by Raven-Symone is an ideal video that depicts the popular American view of a road trip. It seems that most of the time, parents would be the one bringing up the idea. They often have to beg their kids because kids feel that to be on a road trip with family is basically similar to being in a dungeon. Parents would often insist that road trips are great ways to bond with each other whereas children like Raven in the movie think it is all too lovey-dovey and downright annoying. Road trips also lead me to think of singing in the American culture. The dad is singing in the trailer and so did the couple who are driving the father and daughter when their car broke down. There is simply way too much time in the car. You can’t talk forever to suppress the silence! Why not listen and sing to the music? Another great way to have fun!
US Open Series Sells the Road Trip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRG52oCYVsg
This video was one of the commercials for the US Open Series, a series of professional tennis tournaments played every summer. In this case, the concept of a road trip was used to appeal to its American audience as a marketing strategy. Certain elements of the commercial embody the ways in which society often views road travel. In almost every shot, there are scenes of trees and nature in the background. This reflects how Americans often see road trips as a chance to see the beautiful American countryside, a change of pace from the chaos of city living. In reality, most of the tournaments are actually played in major cities such as Los Angeles and Washington DC, but if they showed images of these cities in the background, the series of tournaments would suddenly seem less intriguing. Another notable moment in the video is way in which Venus Williams says,”road trip”! Her tone and gestures communicate a common idea of the road trip as the most exciting way to get somewhere. It would be hard to picture her or anyone else say the words “plane flight”! or “train ride”! With the same level of enthusiasm. Thus, our society views road trips as a time for recreation and adventure with good company rather than a tiresome journey. What is interesting about this whole commercial is that it totally misrepresents how most of the players actually get from tournament to tournament, (some probably have their own private jet) but the fact that they are portrayed as on the road and having a good time together makes the US Open series all the more interesting to the American audience.
This video was one of the commercials for the US Open Series, a series of professional tennis tournaments played every summer. In this case, the concept of a road trip was used to appeal to its American audience as a marketing strategy. Certain elements of the commercial embody the ways in which society often views road travel. In almost every shot, there are scenes of trees and nature in the background. This reflects how Americans often see road trips as a chance to see the beautiful American countryside, a change of pace from the chaos of city living. In reality, most of the tournaments are actually played in major cities such as Los Angeles and Washington DC, but if they showed images of these cities in the background, the series of tournaments would suddenly seem less intriguing. Another notable moment in the video is way in which Venus Williams says,”road trip”! Her tone and gestures communicate a common idea of the road trip as the most exciting way to get somewhere. It would be hard to picture her or anyone else say the words “plane flight”! or “train ride”! With the same level of enthusiasm. Thus, our society views road trips as a time for recreation and adventure with good company rather than a tiresome journey. What is interesting about this whole commercial is that it totally misrepresents how most of the players actually get from tournament to tournament, (some probably have their own private jet) but the fact that they are portrayed as on the road and having a good time together makes the US Open series all the more interesting to the American audience.
Road Trip
The main character in the clip unknowingly sends his girlfriend (who lives 1800 miles away) a sex tape in which he and another woman are the stars. In order to retrieve the illicit tape, he and his friends go on a road trip with the hopes of intercepting the tape and then returning in time for him to take his final exams. Formula to keep in mind while watching a road trip movie: some sort of conflict in which the protagonist can only resolve by going on a road trip + friends who accompany the protagonist and inevitably pressure him/her into doing things he/she normally wouldn't do + minor conflicts such as the car blowing up, no money, crazy antagonist who will stop at nothing to make you fail + happy ending = an entertaining road trip. Overall, I believe that American culture sees a road trip as a the ultimate adventure. It is a time to act crazy (not crazy as in mentally insane) and expose yourself to world around you.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Speed & Style
I found a documentary made by BBC’s show Top Gear, in which three men drive a very fine collection of cars from San Francisco to Utah (to get to a drag race). The entire film is rather long and cut up into three 9 minute videos which are all very entertaining. I recommend you watch them if you get the chance! However, portions from the first two definitely stood out to me in regards to how American culture views the road. The first video basically starts off with them explaining their fun little cars and what not. At one point (3:00), one of the men discusses America’s (and his own) obsession with muscle cars. By the end of the first segment they are in Reno. There they have some fun gambling and playing with their cars in the “big city”. The second segment focuses more on their journey on the road. It begins with them driving through the middle of a desert trying to entertain themselves on the long drive. Throughout the rest of the segment they continue driving and play jokes on each other along the way. The peak of this segment (5:30) is probably when they are racing through the twisting mountain roads, clearly, filling a thrill. And yes, I do realize that these men are British, nevertheless, I still believe they embody America’s fascination with speed and cars very well.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Darkness
"the darkness surrounds us what can we do against it"
I feel like this line sums up the reason alot of people seem to go on road trips. Whether "the darkness" be boredom, discontentment or depression everyone tries to escape it. Everyone wants to be different from the crowd (unless the already are), everyone wants it be happy and feel life, everyone wants to feel a need to live, and a road trip can provide all of these things. I believe the narrator is trying to explain to "John", who probably symbolizes mankind as an entity, that the darkness is all around us, and to break free we must do something insane, buy a big car and drive. Then John reminds him that he needs to watch the road, becasue he is already driving. I think this expresses how we are all already traveling, but when it becomes dark and difficult for us to continue or fufill our basic human needs we forget that we are traveling, we are living and we are moving because we are consumed by the darkness around us. I think the darkness represents death, and when we aren't really living, when our blood isn't pumping, we may feel like death is coming faster than when we are doing something crazy and feel immortal.
Is a short intense life better than a dreary one where you forget your traveling but travel a long time?
I feel like this line sums up the reason alot of people seem to go on road trips. Whether "the darkness" be boredom, discontentment or depression everyone tries to escape it. Everyone wants to be different from the crowd (unless the already are), everyone wants it be happy and feel life, everyone wants to feel a need to live, and a road trip can provide all of these things. I believe the narrator is trying to explain to "John", who probably symbolizes mankind as an entity, that the darkness is all around us, and to break free we must do something insane, buy a big car and drive. Then John reminds him that he needs to watch the road, becasue he is already driving. I think this expresses how we are all already traveling, but when it becomes dark and difficult for us to continue or fufill our basic human needs we forget that we are traveling, we are living and we are moving because we are consumed by the darkness around us. I think the darkness represents death, and when we aren't really living, when our blood isn't pumping, we may feel like death is coming faster than when we are doing something crazy and feel immortal.
Is a short intense life better than a dreary one where you forget your traveling but travel a long time?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Drive
"drive, he sd, for
christ's sake, look
out where yr going"
In my mind, the situation plays out like this: I picture two guys on the road, driving for days. It is night, and they've run out of things to talk about, and now they're just talking to hear themselves, to break the silence.
I feel like the narrator is stammering, babbling, not making much sense. When the friend speaks, I get the sense that he is telling the narrator to be quiet and pay attention to what lays ahead of them, rather than daydreaming and letting his mind wander.
In a way, he and his friend may represent two different ways a roadtrip can be approached; you can just drive to drive, dreaming, and thinking while you meander through the trip, or you can "look out where yr going", staying right on course, going by the book.
What I don't understand is why he calls his friend John, when that is "not his name"? Is there some underlying meaning that I'm not grasping?
christ's sake, look
out where yr going"
In my mind, the situation plays out like this: I picture two guys on the road, driving for days. It is night, and they've run out of things to talk about, and now they're just talking to hear themselves, to break the silence.
I feel like the narrator is stammering, babbling, not making much sense. When the friend speaks, I get the sense that he is telling the narrator to be quiet and pay attention to what lays ahead of them, rather than daydreaming and letting his mind wander.
In a way, he and his friend may represent two different ways a roadtrip can be approached; you can just drive to drive, dreaming, and thinking while you meander through the trip, or you can "look out where yr going", staying right on course, going by the book.
What I don't understand is why he calls his friend John, when that is "not his name"? Is there some underlying meaning that I'm not grasping?
I Know a Man
There is a very good chance I'm completely wrong on this, but...
When reading this poem I picture a man driving alone on a dark road. As he is surrounded by darkness he begins to talk to himself. (That's the only way the line, "John, I sd, which was not his name" makes sense to me.) In my mind this man has created an imaginary companion (John) to talk to on this lonely journey as a source of entertainment. Since "John" doesn't really exist, he is not capable off having a name. After a while of talking to this fictitious charter, the man snaps out of it and realizes that he needs to focus on the road and tells himself to "look out where yr going." Even if I did misinterpret the entire poem, is it not possible for something like this to actually happen on the road? Hasn't anybody ever zoned out while driving only regain focus just in time to avoid a hazard?
When reading this poem I picture a man driving alone on a dark road. As he is surrounded by darkness he begins to talk to himself. (That's the only way the line, "John, I sd, which was not his name" makes sense to me.) In my mind this man has created an imaginary companion (John) to talk to on this lonely journey as a source of entertainment. Since "John" doesn't really exist, he is not capable off having a name. After a while of talking to this fictitious charter, the man snaps out of it and realizes that he needs to focus on the road and tells himself to "look out where yr going." Even if I did misinterpret the entire poem, is it not possible for something like this to actually happen on the road? Hasn't anybody ever zoned out while driving only regain focus just in time to avoid a hazard?
The Ambiguity of the Road?
Due to the ambiguous nature of the poem, as Noah stated, it is very difficult to pinpoint a single verse that sums up the point of the poem and the poems' 'shortness' only compounds this. If we compare this piece to the previous poem Women In Cars the omission of detail becomes overt. I believe that this allows the reader to formulate his own image of the context of the poem and by affect allowing him to place his own definition on the poem itself. The road acts in much the same way. It is difficult to imagine other peoples road trips because our own experiences influence that mental picture, when details are omitted that image becomes all the more ours. So maybe the ambiguity of the poem is simply a commentary on the fact that road trips, the road itself and our experiences while on the road are just that - our experiences.
I feel that there is much at work in this poem. The punctuation is such that the author keeps definite control over the flow of the readers thoughts and I see control as an overarching theme of all the readings. There is also the omission of the vowels in the words "said" and "your", I don't know their purpose though. Lastly, the ending line of the poem "look out where your going" is reminiscent of the scene in Women In Cars where the woman throws off her fake ponytail, effectively changing the males attention from the road to herself. Any thoughts?
I feel that there is much at work in this poem. The punctuation is such that the author keeps definite control over the flow of the readers thoughts and I see control as an overarching theme of all the readings. There is also the omission of the vowels in the words "said" and "your", I don't know their purpose though. Lastly, the ending line of the poem "look out where your going" is reminiscent of the scene in Women In Cars where the woman throws off her fake ponytail, effectively changing the males attention from the road to herself. Any thoughts?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Women in Cars
"Actually he's doing the driving and you're just sitting there twiddling with the radio."
I've had my fair share of experiences driving a girl around and, although one has never proceeded to take her clothes off out of boredom, I HAVE been in a situation where she just sits and messes with the radio while I drive recklessly. I've also been in a situation in which a girl drives ME around in a reckless manner, but I enjoyed every minute of it. This entire poem implies that women have nothing to do when a man is behind the wheel but I would have to disagree. In my opinion, it doesn't matter whether a male or female is driving, if both have the same sense of humor and the same idea of what is means to have a good time the trip should go just fine. If you're driving somebody around and they're bored...you might as well drop them off because they're not making the trip any better.
I've had my fair share of experiences driving a girl around and, although one has never proceeded to take her clothes off out of boredom, I HAVE been in a situation where she just sits and messes with the radio while I drive recklessly. I've also been in a situation in which a girl drives ME around in a reckless manner, but I enjoyed every minute of it. This entire poem implies that women have nothing to do when a man is behind the wheel but I would have to disagree. In my opinion, it doesn't matter whether a male or female is driving, if both have the same sense of humor and the same idea of what is means to have a good time the trip should go just fine. If you're driving somebody around and they're bored...you might as well drop them off because they're not making the trip any better.
Climbing out of jeans in cars is a native art...
"More women have done this than you'd imagine" Really? I have been on a few road trips myself and never experienced a woman completely stripping naked in the passenger seat. This poem points out how thrills for men and women differ. For a man, scooting over to the wrong side of the road can be an adrenaline rush, but a woman would probably just find it reckless and see more fear than anything. It works both ways, most men would not strip down in the passenger seat for the sole reason of being bored. The fear and recklessness that a woman would probably feel if I was swerving all over the road is the same way I would feel if a woman was stripping next to me for the fear I could not keep my eyes on the road. I think it would be a little difficult to all of a sudden get tunnel vision and only be able to focus on the road.
Do you think Mcferren is right that this has happened more than we can imagine? I find it hard to believe.
Dreaming
"They're all in bed/ with their shades down,/ dreaming about rain."
This verse is great. I instantly get an image in my head of driving with friends at night down an empty two-lane highway anywhere in Texas, seeing seemingly deserted small towns, each with a minimal amount of people, and wondering what the heck anyone does in a place with nothing around it for miles. I also get a better picture of the narrator, who seems to be a person stuck in the small-town atmosphere and needs a freedom from a mundane life filled with "sleeping" and "dreaming" rather than experiencing life head-on like she is, with "the wind and the bugs/blowing all over [her].". She's discovering something new that everyone else isn't aware of, or doesn't seem to care about. By stripping down in the convertible, she's creating an extreme solution to the boredom she is apparently suffering.
The men in the poem play small roles, and she almost seems resentful of their presence in the picture, even though they are necessary for her to be able to accomplish this "native art" she describes. How is what she is doing in the poem specific to a women, if it even is at all?
This verse is great. I instantly get an image in my head of driving with friends at night down an empty two-lane highway anywhere in Texas, seeing seemingly deserted small towns, each with a minimal amount of people, and wondering what the heck anyone does in a place with nothing around it for miles. I also get a better picture of the narrator, who seems to be a person stuck in the small-town atmosphere and needs a freedom from a mundane life filled with "sleeping" and "dreaming" rather than experiencing life head-on like she is, with "the wind and the bugs/blowing all over [her].". She's discovering something new that everyone else isn't aware of, or doesn't seem to care about. By stripping down in the convertible, she's creating an extreme solution to the boredom she is apparently suffering.
The men in the poem play small roles, and she almost seems resentful of their presence in the picture, even though they are necessary for her to be able to accomplish this "native art" she describes. How is what she is doing in the poem specific to a women, if it even is at all?
Bored
"...you are so awfully bored. So you start taking off your clothes...
The narrator gets extremely bored while riding, not driving because "he's" doing it, in the car. So she decides to strip down to alleviate her boredom and she states that "more women have done this than you'd imagine". Women dont often drive when riding along with a man so she can do as she pleases. The car is like a separate world where you can do things you could not do while bored in other places, no one is there to stop you. Stripping down gives her a sense of freedom and maybe even an erotic one which would definitely cease any boredom she was experiencing and make time go by a little faster. "You can ride hours like that". On top of all that she cant be bothered too much because he has to keep driving. At night it's very difficult to see inside the car, especially when moving, and when you're out in the open "you dont even have to duck", "there's simply nothing out there". And really, how often do you look inside other peoples cars at night? I think she is expressing a freedom somewhat like the narrator of "Flaming Iguanas" yet she does it in the safety of the inside of a car on the road. What better way is there to travel?
The narrator gets extremely bored while riding, not driving because "he's" doing it, in the car. So she decides to strip down to alleviate her boredom and she states that "more women have done this than you'd imagine". Women dont often drive when riding along with a man so she can do as she pleases. The car is like a separate world where you can do things you could not do while bored in other places, no one is there to stop you. Stripping down gives her a sense of freedom and maybe even an erotic one which would definitely cease any boredom she was experiencing and make time go by a little faster. "You can ride hours like that". On top of all that she cant be bothered too much because he has to keep driving. At night it's very difficult to see inside the car, especially when moving, and when you're out in the open "you dont even have to duck", "there's simply nothing out there". And really, how often do you look inside other peoples cars at night? I think she is expressing a freedom somewhat like the narrator of "Flaming Iguanas" yet she does it in the safety of the inside of a car on the road. What better way is there to travel?
The Great Escape
The poem "Alive" by Joy Hario strikes me as a poem that relays a theme similar to those expressed in both On the Road and Flaming Iguanas. Both Kerouac and Lopez use the road as a way to escape everyday life. "Alive," though, has more in common with On the Road than Flaming Iguanas, for both Kerouac and the speaker of the poem go about their journey by themselves, for the most part.
The speaker of "Alive" seems to be heartbroken. Either her husband is drifting away from her (for she says she has a son in the second stanza), or she is a widow who is failing to find someone else to complete her life: She says "I am afraid of the sound of soundlessness. Like driving away from you as you watched me wordlessly from your sunglasses. This heartbreak causes her to want to commit suicide, as referenced in the fifth stanza. As expressed in the sixth stanza, she even tries to drink alcohol to escape her pain. By the seventh stanza, though, she has discovered that she can escape via the road, where the open interstate mirrors the many options she has left in her life. This feeling of limitless opportunities reminds me of Kerouac's hitchhiking in On the Road--he would hitch a ride with anyone and everyone, and not once did he ever metion worry about whether or not this expedition would work. He would simply comment on how the man or woman struck him.
The speaker of "Alive" seems to be heartbroken. Either her husband is drifting away from her (for she says she has a son in the second stanza), or she is a widow who is failing to find someone else to complete her life: She says "I am afraid of the sound of soundlessness. Like driving away from you as you watched me wordlessly from your sunglasses. This heartbreak causes her to want to commit suicide, as referenced in the fifth stanza. As expressed in the sixth stanza, she even tries to drink alcohol to escape her pain. By the seventh stanza, though, she has discovered that she can escape via the road, where the open interstate mirrors the many options she has left in her life. This feeling of limitless opportunities reminds me of Kerouac's hitchhiking in On the Road--he would hitch a ride with anyone and everyone, and not once did he ever metion worry about whether or not this expedition would work. He would simply comment on how the man or woman struck him.
"Anything else unnatural?"
“I even whipped off my phoney ponytail and threw it in the back seat, and he screamed, ‘GAAAAAA,’ and skidded off the road. And then he said, really sarcastic, ‘You got anything else unnatural?’” (pg. 12)
McFerren seems to view a road trip as a boring process that cannot be endured for long unless one starts entertaining himself or herself. The narrator comments that “there’s simply nothing out there” (pg. 12) on the road. Unlike Sal, who by the end his trip still wants to be somewhere else other than home, the narrator does not derive her entertainment from experiences with new surroundings. On the other hand, when she is in the car, she would behave in a way that she normally would not when in public. Instead of acting all reserved and lady-like, she would do wild and “unnatural” things like taking everything off and throwing stuff around. The narrator admits that she would have to “duck” (pg. 12) or hide from the “real world” if she was not going through places like Scofield or La Tuna. Therefore, being on the road might mean an opportunity to express oneself to the fullest and not be restrained by society.
Does anyone feel a connection to this? Is there ever that feeling of freedom to behave in any way you want in the car as opposed to in a public setting? I think so!
McFerren seems to view a road trip as a boring process that cannot be endured for long unless one starts entertaining himself or herself. The narrator comments that “there’s simply nothing out there” (pg. 12) on the road. Unlike Sal, who by the end his trip still wants to be somewhere else other than home, the narrator does not derive her entertainment from experiences with new surroundings. On the other hand, when she is in the car, she would behave in a way that she normally would not when in public. Instead of acting all reserved and lady-like, she would do wild and “unnatural” things like taking everything off and throwing stuff around. The narrator admits that she would have to “duck” (pg. 12) or hide from the “real world” if she was not going through places like Scofield or La Tuna. Therefore, being on the road might mean an opportunity to express oneself to the fullest and not be restrained by society.
Does anyone feel a connection to this? Is there ever that feeling of freedom to behave in any way you want in the car as opposed to in a public setting? I think so!
Monday, September 14, 2009
"I tried every escape"
“I tried every escape”
she told me. “Beer and wine
never worked. Then I
decided to look around, see
what was there. And I saw myself
naked. And alive. Would you
believe that?
Alive.”
Alive. This music rocks
me. I drive the interstate,
watch faces come and go on either
side. I am free to be sung to;
I am free to sing. This woman
can cross any line.
(p. 10 of Course Packet)
The voice of this poem seems to see the road as a means to escape a life that she has placed herself in by previous decisions. I am not sure who the person is that she had left, although I believe that by the way that she talks about the person it was her love, or someone else she had a deep connection with. Ever since then, she seems to be having trouble coping with life, saying "I try to touch myself," (p. 9) but isn’t even able to do it with knives. This makes me believe that she may have attempted suicide. It seems as though, whereas Kerouac felt everything where he lived was dead to him, the narrator of this poem felt as though there was nothing left in her that she could find that was alive. She feels that there is something there but she just can’t seem to release it. Someone she talks to, who appears to have gone through similar situations, at least as painful, seems to have found in the road her “talking blood.” (p. 9) She feels alive on the road, something she apparently had not felt anywhere specifically but just when she was in motion, seeing everything that was “there.” She finds herself naked, she is confronted by her trueself on the road. The narrator has followed in this woman’s words and actually finds herself on the road as well. In the case of the narrator of this poem, the destination cannot matter. For to settle down again anywhere would be to feel dead again. She has to keep moving to release her “talking blood.” It is as if the road is a therapeutic remedy to her pains.
Do you think that taking to the road can ever be a permanent fix to one's problems?
she told me. “Beer and wine
never worked. Then I
decided to look around, see
what was there. And I saw myself
naked. And alive. Would you
believe that?
Alive.”
Alive. This music rocks
me. I drive the interstate,
watch faces come and go on either
side. I am free to be sung to;
I am free to sing. This woman
can cross any line.
(p. 10 of Course Packet)
The voice of this poem seems to see the road as a means to escape a life that she has placed herself in by previous decisions. I am not sure who the person is that she had left, although I believe that by the way that she talks about the person it was her love, or someone else she had a deep connection with. Ever since then, she seems to be having trouble coping with life, saying "I try to touch myself," (p. 9) but isn’t even able to do it with knives. This makes me believe that she may have attempted suicide. It seems as though, whereas Kerouac felt everything where he lived was dead to him, the narrator of this poem felt as though there was nothing left in her that she could find that was alive. She feels that there is something there but she just can’t seem to release it. Someone she talks to, who appears to have gone through similar situations, at least as painful, seems to have found in the road her “talking blood.” (p. 9) She feels alive on the road, something she apparently had not felt anywhere specifically but just when she was in motion, seeing everything that was “there.” She finds herself naked, she is confronted by her trueself on the road. The narrator has followed in this woman’s words and actually finds herself on the road as well. In the case of the narrator of this poem, the destination cannot matter. For to settle down again anywhere would be to feel dead again. She has to keep moving to release her “talking blood.” It is as if the road is a therapeutic remedy to her pains.
Do you think that taking to the road can ever be a permanent fix to one's problems?
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Unexpected?
"...sometimes you only see what you want to see in someone, and it works until you leave the bar or you learn their last name." (Page 62)
This quote reminds me of how in the beginning, she was so excited about Magdalena and how she thought Magdalena would be such an awesome girl. But, it didn't turn out to be like that. She was only seeing what she wanted to see in Magdalena as well as the trip. She had dreams for the trip that it would be so amazing, and it turned out to be the total opposite.
Do you think her trip would have been better without Magdalena?? Do you think she would have had more fun and enjoyed her trip without being timed and what not during her trip?
This quote reminds me of how in the beginning, she was so excited about Magdalena and how she thought Magdalena would be such an awesome girl. But, it didn't turn out to be like that. She was only seeing what she wanted to see in Magdalena as well as the trip. She had dreams for the trip that it would be so amazing, and it turned out to be the total opposite.
Do you think her trip would have been better without Magdalena?? Do you think she would have had more fun and enjoyed her trip without being timed and what not during her trip?
No Restraints
"I had to climb over the bike seat to get from the doorway to my bed, but it was a small price to pay to take a hot shower, turn on the air conditioner full blast, and jump up and down on the bed nude while watching bad american comedy movies on cable. Let me tell you: D-cups are not designed to jump up and down on beds. They're also not designed to run after buses or to hurry up for anything. And you know a D-cup woman is having an absolutely fantastic time when she's on her back and doesn't lock her arms to her side to keep the cleavage alive. (pg 76-77 of course packet)
I believe that Lopez went on this roadtrip for one thing, freedom. She had planned a road trip on a motorcycle when she didn't even have a motorcycle less know how to ride one. Experiencing the road on a bike, with no sense of being enclosed and being completely open to nature is the most free way of doing so. She also decided to sleep "totally outside" instead of in the tent with Magdalena because she wanted to fall asleep under and "looking at the stars". After Magdalena "took off" Lopez wanted to go home and didn't know why she just didn't "take the next Greyhound bus home". She was very scared to be all alone but she wanted not to be held down by anything and be free so badly that she forgot about it all and drove her bike west. She was free, at times she was as nude as the day she was born and didn't have to impress anyone, she was completely herself, and she was alive. The days and nights she was to herself she grooved with her freedom and I believe she never felt better. She has a very vague destination, just west, has no real plans she's following, and it seems has no desire to return home, she's just one with the road. What is her true purpose if it's not just to escape, have no restraints, and be free?
I believe that Lopez went on this roadtrip for one thing, freedom. She had planned a road trip on a motorcycle when she didn't even have a motorcycle less know how to ride one. Experiencing the road on a bike, with no sense of being enclosed and being completely open to nature is the most free way of doing so. She also decided to sleep "totally outside" instead of in the tent with Magdalena because she wanted to fall asleep under and "looking at the stars". After Magdalena "took off" Lopez wanted to go home and didn't know why she just didn't "take the next Greyhound bus home". She was very scared to be all alone but she wanted not to be held down by anything and be free so badly that she forgot about it all and drove her bike west. She was free, at times she was as nude as the day she was born and didn't have to impress anyone, she was completely herself, and she was alive. The days and nights she was to herself she grooved with her freedom and I believe she never felt better. She has a very vague destination, just west, has no real plans she's following, and it seems has no desire to return home, she's just one with the road. What is her true purpose if it's not just to escape, have no restraints, and be free?
Groovin' with my Freedom
“The second night, I was just groovin’ with my freedom and singing “The Star Spangled Banner” in my helmet, glad this highway was all in a straight line. I didn’t think about where I was gonna sleep until it was almost dark” (pg. 100 in Lopez’s Flaming Iguanas).
I believe that Lopez prefers to define a road trip as an experience that frees the mind and praises the joy of solitary reflection. At first, the narrator seems to think of riding on a motorcycle as a way of attracting attention because she will look so “fly.” She imagined “women wearing pink foam curlers in passing RVs [desiring them].” Further proof for the narrator’s need for being noticed: her excitement when she is “finally the center of everyone’s attention” after being hit by a car. Despite her initial motive, she seems to express more of an enjoyment for being free to travel whenever and wherever she wants after the restraining plans from Magdalena are gone. The narrator sings carefree songs and fantasizes, focusing only on one thing—traveling to the west.
I believe that Lopez prefers to define a road trip as an experience that frees the mind and praises the joy of solitary reflection. At first, the narrator seems to think of riding on a motorcycle as a way of attracting attention because she will look so “fly.” She imagined “women wearing pink foam curlers in passing RVs [desiring them].” Further proof for the narrator’s need for being noticed: her excitement when she is “finally the center of everyone’s attention” after being hit by a car. Despite her initial motive, she seems to express more of an enjoyment for being free to travel whenever and wherever she wants after the restraining plans from Magdalena are gone. The narrator sings carefree songs and fantasizes, focusing only on one thing—traveling to the west.
"We're gonna be so fucking cool"
Magdalena and I are gonna cross America on two motorcycles. We're gonna be so fucking cool, mirrors and windows will break when we pass by. We'll have our own hardcore theme music that makes us throw our heads back and bite the sky, and women wearing pink foam curlers in passing RVs will desire us and we'll slowly turn to them at seventy-five miles an hour and mouth "hello" back. Bugs may stick to my burgundy lipstick, but I'll just spit them back and they'll look all the prettier for it....And we'll be spitting out mango pits like fucking bullets if anyone says anything about our huge Latin American breasts." -pg 42-43 of course packet
This quote describes Lopez's idealized, fantasy-like perception of what a road trip is. Despite the fact that the actual road trip did not reap such success for her, Lopez keeps this haughty sense of attitude throughout most of the story. She's like the female Jagerbomb guy. For her, a road trip is an opportunity to travel across the country as a glorified bad ass. She wants the self-gratification, the sense of superiority, a chance to do something she's never done before and then be able to brag about it later. For Lopez this road trip is not to gain wisdom nor for enlightenment to quench her thirst of curiosity, no. Lopez decided to jump on a motorcycle after just learning how to ride and "vroom" across the country to reiterate to herself and to others that she is the coolest of them all. She's just your typical "I-think-I'm-on-the-outskirts-of-society-and-therefore-I-just-really-want-to-be-the-center-of-attention-for-once" kind of gal.
My question is: Am I wrong?
Defining Others
"After a couple of days on the road with her telling me about the crap inside her belly button, bragging about how much dandruff she could scratch into her lap, and still wearing the same jeans she'd peed in the second night we camped out because she forgot that when you squat, you also have to push your pants forward, towards your knees, it was all I could do to say, "Here, uh, you can have the tent to yourself...yeah, I'll just sleep on that rock over there. No, really...I don't even like shelter that much." (pg. 66 in the course packet)
When the story begins, Lopez says that she and Magdalena were "gonna be so fucking cool, mirrors and windows will break when we pass by. We'll have our own hardcore theme music that makes us throw our heads back and bite the sky, and women wearing pink foam curlers in passing RVs will desire us and we'll slowly turn to them at seventy-five miles and hour and mouth 'hello' back." (pg 42 in the course packet) Before their journey begins, Lopez shares the same youthful, optimistic energy that Keruoac had in On the Road; however, Lopez's opinion on Magdalena changes as they share their roadtrip. Lopez relates her changed feelings to romance at the beginning of chapter 17: "Ah, the romance of ignorance...sometimes you only see what you want to see in someone, and it works until you leave the bar or until you learn their last name." This leads me to believe that Lopez's definition of a roadtrip is that it's a conduit for "the inner self" to emerge, as Lopez realized after some time on the road that she found Magdalena downright annoying and disgusting. This definition of a road trip is probably different from Keruoac's defintion most likely because Lopez was with the same person throughout most of her trip, whereas Keruoac floated from person to person throughout his journey.
When the story begins, Lopez says that she and Magdalena were "gonna be so fucking cool, mirrors and windows will break when we pass by. We'll have our own hardcore theme music that makes us throw our heads back and bite the sky, and women wearing pink foam curlers in passing RVs will desire us and we'll slowly turn to them at seventy-five miles and hour and mouth 'hello' back." (pg 42 in the course packet) Before their journey begins, Lopez shares the same youthful, optimistic energy that Keruoac had in On the Road; however, Lopez's opinion on Magdalena changes as they share their roadtrip. Lopez relates her changed feelings to romance at the beginning of chapter 17: "Ah, the romance of ignorance...sometimes you only see what you want to see in someone, and it works until you leave the bar or until you learn their last name." This leads me to believe that Lopez's definition of a roadtrip is that it's a conduit for "the inner self" to emerge, as Lopez realized after some time on the road that she found Magdalena downright annoying and disgusting. This definition of a road trip is probably different from Keruoac's defintion most likely because Lopez was with the same person throughout most of her trip, whereas Keruoac floated from person to person throughout his journey.
Freedom
"I wanted to wear white cotton dresses, pick daises in a field, sing heterosexual folksongs to every cow, and have my picture taken in front of America's post offices."
The main character of this excerpt is expressing her desire to experience the road her way. She wants to play and explore and learn the country, but the woman she is with is very intent on doing rather than enjoying. The main character wants to mosey her way across America. This is a certain type of road trip, a much more sporatic type. This is the wandering discovering looking for true experiences type of road trip, rather than a get there and back road trip. The main character has a very vague definition, no discernable time limits, and no real reason to go home. Is this why her road trip is so different from the others we have read about?
The main character of this excerpt is expressing her desire to experience the road her way. She wants to play and explore and learn the country, but the woman she is with is very intent on doing rather than enjoying. The main character wants to mosey her way across America. This is a certain type of road trip, a much more sporatic type. This is the wandering discovering looking for true experiences type of road trip, rather than a get there and back road trip. The main character has a very vague definition, no discernable time limits, and no real reason to go home. Is this why her road trip is so different from the others we have read about?
I don't care.
"That, along with heading west, was all I cared about. I didn't care about America's post offices, people, pets, American valleys, rivers, streams, mountains, plains, or American miracles. I just gritted my teeth and fought the wind as I passed all those eighteen-wheeler trucks, and kept my eyes on the lines in the road while singing public-domain songs like 'Happy Birthday' and 'Greensleeves.' " ( Lopez 100)
With this quote in mind, I believe Lopez defines a road trip as merely a way to get somewhere. The narrator apathetically states that she just doesn't care about her surroundings or the possibility of new experiences on the road. Her inner power struggle with the part of her that just wants to go home and the part that is determined to finish what she started is yet another example of her lack of enthusiasm. It isn't the road that keeps her going but rather her determination to continue despite her unsatisfying experiences. She started out with the illusion that she was going to be "so fucking cool" on her motorcycle and quickly realized that she was naïve in her vision of the prospective awesomeness awaiting her on her journey.
With this quote in mind, I believe Lopez defines a road trip as merely a way to get somewhere. The narrator apathetically states that she just doesn't care about her surroundings or the possibility of new experiences on the road. Her inner power struggle with the part of her that just wants to go home and the part that is determined to finish what she started is yet another example of her lack of enthusiasm. It isn't the road that keeps her going but rather her determination to continue despite her unsatisfying experiences. She started out with the illusion that she was going to be "so fucking cool" on her motorcycle and quickly realized that she was naïve in her vision of the prospective awesomeness awaiting her on her journey.
"Never looked at my watch"
"In regular life, I never looked at my watch much. And of the road, I didn't seem to look at it at all, but I kept it on so I'd get one hell of a good tan line." --page 99 of Flaming Iguanas/page 77 of course packet
After Magdalena takes off and the narrator is left to fend for herself, she doesn't have to live on a schedual for the remainder of her roadtrip- she is alone and independent. Unlike Magdalena, always checking her watch and going by her map, she is able to wake up when she wants, travel all day, and figure out when to stop and roll out her sleeping bag based on sunset.
When the narrator fist decided to take a roadtrip across America, her idea of what was to come was very different than what happened. Instead of being so cool that "mirrors and windows will break" when she road by, she rides 40 miles an hour at best, bugs in her teeth, with a friend "still wearing the same jeans she'd peed in" two days into their trip. She wanted to rule the road, to be alpha dog, but her trip doesn't play out that way. At least she'll have a tan line to show for it.
After Magdalena takes off and the narrator is left to fend for herself, she doesn't have to live on a schedual for the remainder of her roadtrip- she is alone and independent. Unlike Magdalena, always checking her watch and going by her map, she is able to wake up when she wants, travel all day, and figure out when to stop and roll out her sleeping bag based on sunset.
When the narrator fist decided to take a roadtrip across America, her idea of what was to come was very different than what happened. Instead of being so cool that "mirrors and windows will break" when she road by, she rides 40 miles an hour at best, bugs in her teeth, with a friend "still wearing the same jeans she'd peed in" two days into their trip. She wanted to rule the road, to be alpha dog, but her trip doesn't play out that way. At least she'll have a tan line to show for it.
The World Seems Sweet
"It was the kind of thing that brought a blurry mist to my eyes and made the world seem so sweet." (p. 90)
The quote reflects one of the few instances in the reading where Lopez seems very sentimental and reflective, as opposed to her normal cynical attitude towards her surroundings. It is almost as though this event that makes her truly appreciate a valuable belonging is one of the most meaningful encounters on her trip, although she may not readily admit it. She frequently asserts that "heading west" (100) is all she cares about, and is not interested in the scenery or the common stops along the way. Her attitude reminds me of the facebook option that says "Looking For: Whatever I Can Get." She seems unsure about what she is looking to gain from her trip, so therefore it is the chance encounters en route to the destination that truly define it.
The quote reflects one of the few instances in the reading where Lopez seems very sentimental and reflective, as opposed to her normal cynical attitude towards her surroundings. It is almost as though this event that makes her truly appreciate a valuable belonging is one of the most meaningful encounters on her trip, although she may not readily admit it. She frequently asserts that "heading west" (100) is all she cares about, and is not interested in the scenery or the common stops along the way. Her attitude reminds me of the facebook option that says "Looking For: Whatever I Can Get." She seems unsure about what she is looking to gain from her trip, so therefore it is the chance encounters en route to the destination that truly define it.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
"We all have our mountains"
“Perhaps I gave myself far too much credit for summoning the strength to throw my terrycloth slippers under the bed and walk out the door, but I didn’t care. We all have our mountains.”(p.77) (p.55 in course packet)
Lopez describes her road trip as a “mountain” that she has to conquer. Everyone has their goals that they wish to fulfill, and hers is to show the world that she can travel the country on a motorcycle. Several times throughout the story, Lopez refers to trying to claim the title of “alpha dog” and fails in doing so when C-cup is around stealing her thunder. When her companion starts showing some incompetence on the road, Lopez quickly dismisses her taking on the road alone. Here she’s finally able to show her independence by making it to her destination in one piece proving that women can travel on the road and survive just as well.
Rebels on the Road
"Fuck you! You ride this goddamned thing!" was as clever as I could get with death humping me. I'd try to run them off the bridge as if I were in a movie, but at fifteen miles an hour, you can't even scratch the paint." --pg. 78 (56 in course packet)
Lopez's definition of road trip is portrayed through a rebellious attitude on the road. As two women take to the road on motorcycles, we see from the very start a different side of femininity (or lack thereof). Lopez expresses the woman’s subconscious state of mind on matters to have an effect that woman can be as equally tasteless and lewd as men are. The attitude derived by the women is a “take no bullshit” from anyone, as she curses the drivers around her neglecting the fact that she maybe the cause of all the disturbance on the road being she’s riding at a mere fifteen miles per hour. Not only is this attitude prevalent throughout the journey on the road, Lopez refers to Magdalena as “C-cup” multiple times. This brings a sort of raunchiness to the two women as this does not coincide with the norms of society. By doing so, Lopez seems to express the woman’s overbearing sexuality while on the road.
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Virus of Restlessness
“I saw in their eyes something I was to see over and over in every part of the nation—a burning desire to go, to move, to get under way, anyplace, away from Here.” (p.771/15)
I found it interesting that Steinbeck noted this “virus of restlessness” (p.767/13) everywhere he went, in all different types of people across America. Not only were old men prone to fidget, but young boys as well. (Recall the small boy who hungrily eyed the Rocinante for days straight.) The listless waitress he met talked of Florida and his very own neighbors spoke of moving away from something. It appears as though, deep down, practically everyone itches for something more (or something other than what they have). Why do you think this is?
New People
"An early morning waitress in New England leads a lonely life, but I soon learned that if I tried to inject life and gaity into her job with a blithe remark she dropped her eyes and answered "Yep" or "Umph." Still, I did feel that their was some kind of communication, but I can't say what it was."
Steinbeck is on the road and stops in at the local diner to basically get a taste of the locals, and see what that particular part of America's social climate was. And apparently the social climate in the early morning was rather arctic. I believe meeting people different from you is a crucial part of any road trip. Nature may be purifying, but you must learn about your fellow man as well. Steinbeck expresses his affection for people of all sways of personality in this beginning section. These are all taciturn northerners and he speaks about the bond of communication he felt with a waitress that would be considered sullen in Texas. He is showing how meeting new people is a warming enjoyable feeling, even if they aren't openly warm in return.
Why are Texans so loud and proud but others are so quiet and calm? Is it nature vs nurture? Is it the climate?
Steinbeck is on the road and stops in at the local diner to basically get a taste of the locals, and see what that particular part of America's social climate was. And apparently the social climate in the early morning was rather arctic. I believe meeting people different from you is a crucial part of any road trip. Nature may be purifying, but you must learn about your fellow man as well. Steinbeck expresses his affection for people of all sways of personality in this beginning section. These are all taciturn northerners and he speaks about the bond of communication he felt with a waitress that would be considered sullen in Texas. He is showing how meeting new people is a warming enjoyable feeling, even if they aren't openly warm in return.
Why are Texans so loud and proud but others are so quiet and calm? Is it nature vs nurture? Is it the climate?
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Maps...
"For weeks I had studied maps, large-scale and small, but maps are not reality at all--they can be tyrants. I know people who are so immersed in road maps that they never see the countryside they pass through, and others who, having traced a route, are held to it as though held by flanges wheels to rails." (pg. 780/pg. 20 in course packet)
This moment in particular sticks out to me because it makes a valid point. When on the road, one can easily fall into the habit of relying on a map so much that the trip itself cannot even be enjoyed. While looking at a map throughout a journey can be useful, the map must never become the main focus of the trip. The open road presents quite a large amount of sights to see, but these these things will never be seen or appreciated if a map is obstructing a traveler's vision.
This moment in particular sticks out to me because it makes a valid point. When on the road, one can easily fall into the habit of relying on a map so much that the trip itself cannot even be enjoyed. While looking at a map throughout a journey can be useful, the map must never become the main focus of the trip. The open road presents quite a large amount of sights to see, but these these things will never be seen or appreciated if a map is obstructing a traveler's vision.
Submarines, and Old Men
"It's his world, not mine anymore...perhaps the understands things I will never learn." (779)
The context of this quotation is a conversation between Steinbeck and a young sailor on the subject of submarines. Upon seeing a submarine Steinbeck instantly recalls the fear he felt while "crossing the Atlantic on a troop ship and knowing that somewhere on the way dark things lurked searching for us..."(778) However, the young man he is conversing with feels the exact opposite, going so far as to say that submarines promise "all kinds of --future."(779) While I was reading this portion of Steinbecks' Travels the movie No Country For Old Men came to mind, and a very particular scene in it. The clip is rather long, you only need to watch the first minute and forty-two seconds to understand the point I am trying to make.
The sherriffs disbelief at the progression of society and Steinbecks suprise at the young sailors hopeful take on the "dark creature[s]" have a very noteable parallel. That is, they both allude to the idea that the things that shocked or confused our fathers and mothers are no commonplace to us. How many of us have had to teach someone much older than us how to send an email, or simply shrugged off an abhorrence as a daily occurence as our parents sat in horror? So for Steinbeck, the insightful man that he is, mabye this road trip is more than just an itch? Steinbeck has already previously stated that he wants quality rather than quantity of years, a statement that could possibly mean that he doesn't want to grow old (when taken in context with the surrounding paragraph). This roadtrip, for Steinbeck, could possibly a chance to gain new life and a new perspective on the world. What do you guys think?
The context of this quotation is a conversation between Steinbeck and a young sailor on the subject of submarines. Upon seeing a submarine Steinbeck instantly recalls the fear he felt while "crossing the Atlantic on a troop ship and knowing that somewhere on the way dark things lurked searching for us..."(778) However, the young man he is conversing with feels the exact opposite, going so far as to say that submarines promise "all kinds of --future."(779) While I was reading this portion of Steinbecks' Travels the movie No Country For Old Men came to mind, and a very particular scene in it. The clip is rather long, you only need to watch the first minute and forty-two seconds to understand the point I am trying to make.
The sherriffs disbelief at the progression of society and Steinbecks suprise at the young sailors hopeful take on the "dark creature[s]" have a very noteable parallel. That is, they both allude to the idea that the things that shocked or confused our fathers and mothers are no commonplace to us. How many of us have had to teach someone much older than us how to send an email, or simply shrugged off an abhorrence as a daily occurence as our parents sat in horror? So for Steinbeck, the insightful man that he is, mabye this road trip is more than just an itch? Steinbeck has already previously stated that he wants quality rather than quantity of years, a statement that could possibly mean that he doesn't want to grow old (when taken in context with the surrounding paragraph). This roadtrip, for Steinbeck, could possibly a chance to gain new life and a new perspective on the world. What do you guys think?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Empty Dreams
People ate lugubrios meals around the waterfalls, their faces green with marine sorrow. All the cops in LA looked like handsome gigolos; obviously they'd come to LA to make the movies. Everybody had come to make the movies, even me. Terry and I were finally reduced to trying to get jobs on South Main Street among the beat countermen and dishgirls who made no bones about their beatness, and even there it was no go. We still had ten dollars. (pg 88)
Sal finally made it to LA with this girl Terry he met in Bakersfield. It was love at first sight for Sal, who has been looking for a companion most of this trip. Suprisingly after all his luck, or lack of it, with other women, Sal gets this girl to spend the night with him and actually plans on taking her back to New York. However in LA they find that nothing comes as everybody expects it to. Everyone goes there for one purpose, "to make the movies", but no one ends up doing that. Everyone is "reduced" to something else. The "handsome gigolos" turn out to be cops, while Sal and Terry, after looking for work everywhere else and failing to find any, try and find work in the southside. Even there, among men and women of very low standing it is a "no go". Dreams of a fascinating life with fame, fortune, fulfillment, and love fade away into hunger, pain, emptiness, and "faces green with marine sorrow". However, Sal still has Terry and they "still had ten dollars". It seems that Sal may be looking on the brightside but will he and Terry make it back to New York together or is this just another empty dream?
Sal finally made it to LA with this girl Terry he met in Bakersfield. It was love at first sight for Sal, who has been looking for a companion most of this trip. Suprisingly after all his luck, or lack of it, with other women, Sal gets this girl to spend the night with him and actually plans on taking her back to New York. However in LA they find that nothing comes as everybody expects it to. Everyone goes there for one purpose, "to make the movies", but no one ends up doing that. Everyone is "reduced" to something else. The "handsome gigolos" turn out to be cops, while Sal and Terry, after looking for work everywhere else and failing to find any, try and find work in the southside. Even there, among men and women of very low standing it is a "no go". Dreams of a fascinating life with fame, fortune, fulfillment, and love fade away into hunger, pain, emptiness, and "faces green with marine sorrow". However, Sal still has Terry and they "still had ten dollars". It seems that Sal may be looking on the brightside but will he and Terry make it back to New York together or is this just another empty dream?
The Trip?
"Where Dean? Where everybody? Where life? I had my home to go to, my place to lay my head down and figure the losses and figure the gain that I knew was in there somewhere too." (Page 107)
Sal is now kind of regretting the trip because he lost a lot! He lost money, he got the "bug" for bad things and got himself into bad influence. He did gain some good experience or maybe experience which he learned from. Maybe the "gain" was that he learned from his mistakes. He went through a lot and ended up with nothing in his hands really. In my opinion, I think he truly went on the trip just for Dean, but I don't understand why he didn't spend so much time with Dean when he actually went for him? He is the one he misses at the end, so why did he not stick with him when he was over there? I know Dean was into so many other things and girls, but Sal could of still spend more time with him. But then again, Sal is better off without Dean's influence because Dean wasn't such a great guy himself. So did Sal actually learn something from his experience or does he still want to be with Dean and do what Dean does?
Sal is now kind of regretting the trip because he lost a lot! He lost money, he got the "bug" for bad things and got himself into bad influence. He did gain some good experience or maybe experience which he learned from. Maybe the "gain" was that he learned from his mistakes. He went through a lot and ended up with nothing in his hands really. In my opinion, I think he truly went on the trip just for Dean, but I don't understand why he didn't spend so much time with Dean when he actually went for him? He is the one he misses at the end, so why did he not stick with him when he was over there? I know Dean was into so many other things and girls, but Sal could of still spend more time with him. But then again, Sal is better off without Dean's influence because Dean wasn't such a great guy himself. So did Sal actually learn something from his experience or does he still want to be with Dean and do what Dean does?
Fed Up
"I hated every one of them...Who did they think they were, making fun of a girl reduced to poor circumstances with a man who wanted to belove? We were minding our own business. And we didn't get a blessed ride." - pg 89
Sal has now experienced all faces of this glorious road trip. He felt the passion, became a wild-child on the road, fell in love, became broke, and now he is experiencing the road's grim realities. These teenagers that were flying past them screaming may not even have meant to be malicious, but Sal was quick to blame. At this point, the honeymoon stage of his road trip is over. He met a girl who he decided to live with over the next few months(?), and now he has to make it work for not only her, but also for her child. He has no money, no job, his friends are gone, and he procrastinated finding a job almost every day.
However, it is evident that Sal's former abstract, romantic purpose is still there. He just wanted to "belove." This is something he sought out to do on his road trip, and now that it has happened, it's not as happily-ever-after as he may have expected. Yes he found love but it came with "circumstances." This is what his road trip has came down to. Soon he will even leave Terry and it will all just become a learning experience for him.
My question: The story takes a totally different turn in these three chapters (12-14). Sal is no longer running around with his friends to party in a different place every night. He has found responsibility, he finds himself a family. Do you think this what he was looking after all along? Did Sal get the experience he was asking for/expecting?
"New York, New York"
“I never felt sadder in my life. LA is the lonelieset and most brutal of American cities; New York gets god-awful cold in the winter but there’s a feeling of wacky comradeship somewhere in some streets. LA is a jungle.” (p. 85)
This quote made me feel that Sal had to leave New York, that he had to take his road trip, to see how much he really loved it. Just like favorite activities or hobbies, or favorite movies or music, or many other things in life that one can come to love so much that you tend to in a sense “overdose” on it, Sal has had too much of New York. He needed to see the world and get away from New York for a while because everything had become dead to him, but throughout the book there are little hints to how he starts to miss New York. He dreamed of the places he has now gone as much more magnificent than they have turned out to be in the end and he has come to appreciate New York in a new light. In this quote you understand a bit of what Sal sees New York as, his home. A place where he feels he belongs. Also he has changed on his journey and now when he looks at New York it means something different to him than it did when he left it. When he arrives home, I get a sense of melancholy. He has grown and had enjoyed his trip even if he can’t put a finger on why exactly. But he was home in the month when “everybody goes home.” (p. 103)
Has there ever been anything which you had to leave behind to gain a new perspective or appreciation for?
This quote made me feel that Sal had to leave New York, that he had to take his road trip, to see how much he really loved it. Just like favorite activities or hobbies, or favorite movies or music, or many other things in life that one can come to love so much that you tend to in a sense “overdose” on it, Sal has had too much of New York. He needed to see the world and get away from New York for a while because everything had become dead to him, but throughout the book there are little hints to how he starts to miss New York. He dreamed of the places he has now gone as much more magnificent than they have turned out to be in the end and he has come to appreciate New York in a new light. In this quote you understand a bit of what Sal sees New York as, his home. A place where he feels he belongs. Also he has changed on his journey and now when he looks at New York it means something different to him than it did when he left it. When he arrives home, I get a sense of melancholy. He has grown and had enjoyed his trip even if he can’t put a finger on why exactly. But he was home in the month when “everybody goes home.” (p. 103)
Has there ever been anything which you had to leave behind to gain a new perspective or appreciation for?
The complete road
"In the morning her cousins came to get us in another truck. I suddenly realized thousands of Mexicans all over the countryside knew about Terry and me and that it must have been a juicy, romantic topic for them. The cousins were very polite and in fact charming. I stood on the truck, smiling pleasantries, talking about where we were in the war and what the pitch was. There were five cousins in all, and every one of them was nice. They seemed to belong to the side of Terry's family that didn't fuss off like her brother. But I loved that wild Rickey. He swore he was coming to New York to join me. I pictured him in New York, putting off everything manana. He was drunk in a field someplace that day." --pg 99, Chapter 13
This quote neatly ties in the many aspects of the road that Kerouac has learned thus far on his journey. Firstly, Kerouac illustrates his appreciation for the big picture in his realization that "thousands of Mexicans all over the countryside" knew about his relationship with Terry. Kerouac himself is a deep thinker, but the open road has allowed for him to further reflect on both himself and those around him. Throughout his journey thus far, Kerouac also has seemed to give the people he meets the benefit of the doubt, as he did with the oldtimer Nebraska farmer from Chapter 3. In this selection, Kerouac says that all of Terry's cousins are nice. And even though he says that Rickey fusses, he still says "I loved that wild Rickey." Like numerous encounters, though, Rickey, too, promises to join Kerouac at a later destination. Kerouac seems to believe Rickey as he did with previous promisers of the past, but as readers, we can assume the worst. After all, Rickey "was drunk in a field someplace that day." It seems that Rickey will never join Kerouac in New York, but as readers, we'll have to continue reading to see if this pattern holds true.
Is this act of giving relative strangers the benefit of the doubt a good motto to live by? We already know Dean will let Kerouac down--Do you think Kerouac will get hosed by others before this book ends?
This quote neatly ties in the many aspects of the road that Kerouac has learned thus far on his journey. Firstly, Kerouac illustrates his appreciation for the big picture in his realization that "thousands of Mexicans all over the countryside" knew about his relationship with Terry. Kerouac himself is a deep thinker, but the open road has allowed for him to further reflect on both himself and those around him. Throughout his journey thus far, Kerouac also has seemed to give the people he meets the benefit of the doubt, as he did with the oldtimer Nebraska farmer from Chapter 3. In this selection, Kerouac says that all of Terry's cousins are nice. And even though he says that Rickey fusses, he still says "I loved that wild Rickey." Like numerous encounters, though, Rickey, too, promises to join Kerouac at a later destination. Kerouac seems to believe Rickey as he did with previous promisers of the past, but as readers, we can assume the worst. After all, Rickey "was drunk in a field someplace that day." It seems that Rickey will never join Kerouac in New York, but as readers, we'll have to continue reading to see if this pattern holds true.
Is this act of giving relative strangers the benefit of the doubt a good motto to live by? We already know Dean will let Kerouac down--Do you think Kerouac will get hosed by others before this book ends?
The Exciting Earth
“But it was beautiful kneeling and hiding in that earth. If I felt like resting I did, with my face on the pillow of brown moist earth. Birds sang an accompaniment. I thought I had found my life’s work” (pg. 96).
Throughout Sal’s journey into the West, he seems to have taken great relish in viewing nature and the landscapes around him. The quote here is kind of ironic because working and being refined to a certain place for a period of time definitely does not seem like something Sal would actually like. Moreover, he was not even good at what he was doing and Terry in fact picked the cotton faster than he did! However, Sal might have expressed this desire at the moment because being close to nature represented to him a connection with the route to an extensive amount of space that can be roamed around any way and anytime he wants. The birds singing probably added a sense of joy and freedom to all this. Sal’s perspective of nature at this point might have summed up what he is really after in this whole trip away from home. He really wanted to come out of his narrow and mundane world to experience endless new things and enjoy much more from this life. These new “things” came in the form of riding on a flatboard with a bunch of other hitchhikers, going up the mountain to view the scenery, and having a make-belief family with Terry and Johnny. From all these various intriguing encounters, he searches for what kind of a person he really wants to become in the future.
Sal, at one point, remarks that when he stoops to get into a tent, there was his “baby and [his] baby boy” (pg. 94). He seems to say this with a sort of affection and longing that made me wonder whether he actually wished for a family. From the way that he “carelessly” treats his romantic relationships at times, is Sal any serious at all about love?
Monday, September 7, 2009
The Importance of Life: Part One
"Guitars tinkled. Terry and I gazed at the stars together and kissed. "Manana," she said. "Everything'll be all right tomorrow, don't you think, Sal-honey, man?" "Sure, baby, manana." It was always manana. For the next week that was all I heard-manana, a lovely word and one that probably means heaven." --pg. 94
By the end of his journey "on the road", we see the vast transformation that Sal has gone through. From the very start, Sal represents a character that lives for the moment. He is constantly drinking and caught up in the surface of things. After meeting Terry, we see a more compassionate character as Terry is not portrayed solely as an object for sex. It seems that their relationship was true and not just a reflection of mainstream society for Sal. Although their time together was brief, Terry seems to have given Sal a different perspective on life. It seems that he is able to grasp the true importance of life as he "looked up at the dark sky and prayed to God for a better break in life and a better chance to do something for the little people [he] loved." It's here where we see the value of relationships in life, and the connection with Terry being on a different level then anyone Sal encountered previously on the road. It is at this point where Sal was able to alleiviate his judgements on life and got to enjoy his adventures on the road, even if they were temporary.
It always seemed as though Sal was trying to fill some void in his life ever since he left New Jersey and took off "on the road". What do you think that emptyness was, and do you think Sal ever found what he needed to fill that void?
By the end of his journey "on the road", we see the vast transformation that Sal has gone through. From the very start, Sal represents a character that lives for the moment. He is constantly drinking and caught up in the surface of things. After meeting Terry, we see a more compassionate character as Terry is not portrayed solely as an object for sex. It seems that their relationship was true and not just a reflection of mainstream society for Sal. Although their time together was brief, Terry seems to have given Sal a different perspective on life. It seems that he is able to grasp the true importance of life as he "looked up at the dark sky and prayed to God for a better break in life and a better chance to do something for the little people [he] loved." It's here where we see the value of relationships in life, and the connection with Terry being on a different level then anyone Sal encountered previously on the road. It is at this point where Sal was able to alleiviate his judgements on life and got to enjoy his adventures on the road, even if they were temporary.
It always seemed as though Sal was trying to fill some void in his life ever since he left New Jersey and took off "on the road". What do you think that emptyness was, and do you think Sal ever found what he needed to fill that void?
An Escape from Reality
“Today we drink, tomorrow we work.” (p.91)
Part I of On The Road can pretty much be summed up with this relatively simple quote. The line is literally true to form as Sal drank a good amount of alcohol throughout his journey, putting off everything serious for later. His road trip across America was a vacation from life’s responsibilities. He desired to break free from his boring life and live on the edge. Accordingly, he rejected everything serious on his trip and became immersed in a hedonistic lifestyle. For a brief period of time Sal didn’t have to worry about tomorrow, and just enjoyed today. However, his trip had to come to an end eventually. As much as he enjoyed Dean and Carlo’s way of living he realized he could never become like them. Life isn’t all fun and games. “This was the end of something.” (p.101) Tomorrow, he would work.
At the end of Part I Sal decides to figure out the losses and gains from his journey on the road. What do you think he will conclude?
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Purpose in life
“Every day I earned approximately a dollar and a half. It was just enough to buy groceries in the evening on the bicycle. The days rolled by. I forgot all about the East and all about Dean and Carlo and the bloody road.” “I was a man of the earth, precisely as I had dreamed I would be, in Paterson” (p. 97)
This quote has led me to believe that Sal was on a trip in search of a reason for living. He quickly falls in love with a young Mexican woman named Terry. The couple attempts to reach New York where they can finally build a stable life together. Several unsuccessful tries to get money leads them back to Terry’s home town where they meet up with Johnny, Terry’s child from her abusive husband. When things don’t go as they plan, Sal is left to work day by day to feed his new family. Here he finally realizes that his dream is set in motion. He found a family who depended on him for companionship, food, protection, and shelter.
Sal worked hard to support his family the best he could, yet he let them go so easily, why?
Friday, September 4, 2009
Mr. Snow's Laugh
"The strange thing was that next door to Remi lived a Negro called Mr. Snow whose laugh, I sweat on the Bible, was positively and finally the one greatest laugh in all this world. This Mr. Snow began his laugh from the supper table when his old wife said something casual; he got up, apparently choking, leaned on the wall, looked up to heaven, and started; he staggered through the door, leaning on neighbors' walls; he was drunk with he; he reeled throughout Mill City in the shadows, raising his whooping triumphant call to the demon god that must have prodded him to do it. I don't know if he ever finished supper. There's a possibility that Remi, without knowing it, was picking up from this amazing man, Mr. Snow. And though Remi was having worklife problems and bad lovelife with a sharp-tongued woman, he at least had learned to laugh almost better than anyone in the world, and I saw all the fun we were going to have in Frisco."
Up until this point, what seems to have consisted of a good time to Sal is partying a great deal and attempting to "make it" with a woman. He simply followed others' and his own hedonistic pleasures, which is what brought him happiness. He previously also admired most the two greatest self-centered characters in the plot thus far, Dean and Carlo, for their philosophical banterings and crazy lifestyles, even though they treat him with a great deal of condescension and apathy. Once Sal get to Frisco, however, we see another side of him being fulfilled by his friend Remi. He truly enjoys Remi's good, generous nature, and for the first time since the book began, he has a friend that makes him feel significant to his daily life. Through the quotation above, we can see that Sal appreciates Remi's hearty laugh and light-hearted nature and sees it as something that will bring him happiness, just as his partying did before.
Does Sal seem happier in Frisco with his friend Remi, despite the problems that arose at the end of his stay, or more so with his friends in Denver? According to your answer, what do you think Sal values more--a more hedonistic lifestyle or simply living and have good times along the way?
Thursday, September 3, 2009
"I pictured myself in a Denver bar that night, with all the gang, and in their eyes I would be strange and ragged and like the Prophet who has walked across the land to bring the dark Word, and the only Word I had was "Wow!" (page 35)
As Kerouac gets closer to Denver, his excitement increases and he starts imagining himself at Denver and how he thought everything would be the same! He feels happy because he traveled so much and went through what not just to get to Denver. Just like if we travel so long to get to somewhere and when we are so close to our destination, we get all excited and happy that we are almost there! So, this gives a sign of a successful trip, that he actually made it to Denver. But, it wasn't how he thought it would have been. It wasn't exactly the same. He wanted to be "with all the gang," but it turns out to be that the gang is not the same! So, it shows dissapointment here because he traveled so much to find out that the gang is split in two.
Sometimes, it seems as it doesn't really care if the gang is split...but then sometimes it does. Does he really feel the difference that the gang isn't together? Because the whole time on his way to Denver, he talked about the "gang" and now that the gang is split, is he okay with it? Or does it bother him, but not as much??
As Kerouac gets closer to Denver, his excitement increases and he starts imagining himself at Denver and how he thought everything would be the same! He feels happy because he traveled so much and went through what not just to get to Denver. Just like if we travel so long to get to somewhere and when we are so close to our destination, we get all excited and happy that we are almost there! So, this gives a sign of a successful trip, that he actually made it to Denver. But, it wasn't how he thought it would have been. It wasn't exactly the same. He wanted to be "with all the gang," but it turns out to be that the gang is not the same! So, it shows dissapointment here because he traveled so much to find out that the gang is split in two.
Sometimes, it seems as it doesn't really care if the gang is split...but then sometimes it does. Does he really feel the difference that the gang isn't together? Because the whole time on his way to Denver, he talked about the "gang" and now that the gang is split, is he okay with it? Or does it bother him, but not as much??
Loneliness and boredom
Meanwhile I began going to Frisco more often; I tried everything in the books to make a girl...There were plenty of queers. Several times I went to San Fran with my gun and when a queer approached me in a bar john I took out the gun and said, "Eh? Eh? What's that you say?" He bolted. I've never understood why I did that; I knew queers all over the country. It was just the loneliness of San Francisco and the fact that I had a gun. I had to show it to someone. I walked by a jewelry store and had the sudden impulse to shoot up the window, take out the finest rings and bracelets, and run to give them to Lee Ann. Then we could flee to Nevada together. The time was coming for me to leave Frisco or I'd go crazy. (pg 73)
Sal had been in California for months now and nothing was really going to his plan. "Whatever are we going to do about shipping out?" Sal was very frustrated because his life was "wrapped in the shack, in Remi's battles with Lee Ann, and in the middle of the night at the barracks" where he was only making 55 bucks a week. Remi tells Sal several times what President Truman said, "we must cut down on the cost of living" and noticed that Remi was full of "mad schemes" and was quite the theif. Eventually Sal becomes his partner in crime. They steal a whole box of groceries from the barracks, while Sal is on duty and he even leaves his post. When Lee Ann was delighted at the loot he realized that "everybody in America is a natural born theif" and he "was getting the bug" himself. As they were out on the old rusty freighter in the bay looking to strip the ship they saw that it had already "been stripped by a bunch of thieves". Lee Ann had taken all her clothes off and was sunning herself and Sal wanted to "jump down from a mast and land right in her". Sal has become very loney and bored in California. He begins to go to San Francisco alot more to try and find company and women but to no avail. He is carrying the gun with him everywhere, starts pulling it out on "queers" and even has the impulse to rob a jewelry store and take the loot to Lee Ann. He is very desperate and is on the verge of going crazy. He has completely changed. He's doing the exact opposite of what his job says he should be doing and is thinking of stealing his friends girl and running away with her. He's thousands of miles from home and is losing his insight. Every time things get bad he thinks it's time to move on. I believe he is getting a bit homesick but now his home is on the road where I believe he is most comfortable. Maybe he is just taking advantage of being so far away from home and can get away with these things, or has he forgotten what it was like? Will he find his way back to his old self or has he changed for good? Will he ever find a place on the road where he is truly comfortable and happy?
Sal had been in California for months now and nothing was really going to his plan. "Whatever are we going to do about shipping out?" Sal was very frustrated because his life was "wrapped in the shack, in Remi's battles with Lee Ann, and in the middle of the night at the barracks" where he was only making 55 bucks a week. Remi tells Sal several times what President Truman said, "we must cut down on the cost of living" and noticed that Remi was full of "mad schemes" and was quite the theif. Eventually Sal becomes his partner in crime. They steal a whole box of groceries from the barracks, while Sal is on duty and he even leaves his post. When Lee Ann was delighted at the loot he realized that "everybody in America is a natural born theif" and he "was getting the bug" himself. As they were out on the old rusty freighter in the bay looking to strip the ship they saw that it had already "been stripped by a bunch of thieves". Lee Ann had taken all her clothes off and was sunning herself and Sal wanted to "jump down from a mast and land right in her". Sal has become very loney and bored in California. He begins to go to San Francisco alot more to try and find company and women but to no avail. He is carrying the gun with him everywhere, starts pulling it out on "queers" and even has the impulse to rob a jewelry store and take the loot to Lee Ann. He is very desperate and is on the verge of going crazy. He has completely changed. He's doing the exact opposite of what his job says he should be doing and is thinking of stealing his friends girl and running away with her. He's thousands of miles from home and is losing his insight. Every time things get bad he thinks it's time to move on. I believe he is getting a bit homesick but now his home is on the road where I believe he is most comfortable. Maybe he is just taking advantage of being so far away from home and can get away with these things, or has he forgotten what it was like? Will he find his way back to his old self or has he changed for good? Will he ever find a place on the road where he is truly comfortable and happy?
A true friend
"...that guy was loyal to me and had real affection for me, and God knows why." --page 62
"And I tried to tell him what North Platte meant to me, buying the whisky with the boys, and he slapped me on the back and said I was the funniest man in the world." -- page 64
In introducing Remi in Chapter 11, we can clearly see the difference in the relationships Sal has to Remi opposed to other characters like Dean and Carlo. Leaving Denver, "in a last minute phone call Dean said he and Carlo might join [him] on the Coast; [he] pondered this, and realized [he] hadn't talked to Dean for more than five minutes in the whole time,"(page 59). Though Sal considers Dean and Carlo close friends, and traveled across the country to join them, he recognises that maybe they aren't as close as he once thought.
With Carlo and Dean, he seems to be a silent observer of their wild lifestyle. Remi and Sal have a comradery, almost a kinship; Remi is excited when Sal shows up at his shack, he cares that Sal is finally there. Remi is there supporting Sal as he arrives in San Fransisco. He shops Sal's play around to Hollywood directors, and when that doesn't turn out, he finds his friend a job. Unlike the "friends" that we have been introduced to in earlier chapters, Remi cares about Sal, and trusts him.
"Everything was falling apart. My stay in San Francisco was coming to an end. Remi would never talk to me again. It was horrible because I really loved Remi and I was one of the very few people in the world who know what a genuine and grand fellow he was."-- page 77
Remi seems to have been the best influence on Sal thus far; while in Frisco, Sal has held down a job, written a play, and generally stayed out of trouble, following Remi's lead. It takes Major coming into town to divert Sal off this track and put him back on the road.
Could Sal's life be different if, instead of taking to the road whenever he hit a rough patch, he tried to repair mistakes he had made?
"And I tried to tell him what North Platte meant to me, buying the whisky with the boys, and he slapped me on the back and said I was the funniest man in the world." -- page 64
In introducing Remi in Chapter 11, we can clearly see the difference in the relationships Sal has to Remi opposed to other characters like Dean and Carlo. Leaving Denver, "in a last minute phone call Dean said he and Carlo might join [him] on the Coast; [he] pondered this, and realized [he] hadn't talked to Dean for more than five minutes in the whole time,"(page 59). Though Sal considers Dean and Carlo close friends, and traveled across the country to join them, he recognises that maybe they aren't as close as he once thought.
With Carlo and Dean, he seems to be a silent observer of their wild lifestyle. Remi and Sal have a comradery, almost a kinship; Remi is excited when Sal shows up at his shack, he cares that Sal is finally there. Remi is there supporting Sal as he arrives in San Fransisco. He shops Sal's play around to Hollywood directors, and when that doesn't turn out, he finds his friend a job. Unlike the "friends" that we have been introduced to in earlier chapters, Remi cares about Sal, and trusts him.
"Everything was falling apart. My stay in San Francisco was coming to an end. Remi would never talk to me again. It was horrible because I really loved Remi and I was one of the very few people in the world who know what a genuine and grand fellow he was."-- page 77
Remi seems to have been the best influence on Sal thus far; while in Frisco, Sal has held down a job, written a play, and generally stayed out of trouble, following Remi's lead. It takes Major coming into town to divert Sal off this track and put him back on the road.
Could Sal's life be different if, instead of taking to the road whenever he hit a rough patch, he tried to repair mistakes he had made?
Hmmm...Maybe this is what Kerouac is suggesting...
"It was Sunday. A great heat wave descended; it was a beautiful day, the sun turned red at three. I started up the mountain and got to the top at four. All those lovely California cottonwoods and eucalypti brooded on all sides...There was the Pacific, a few more foothills away, blue and vast and with a great wall of white advancing from the legendary potato patch where Frisco fogs are born...That was Frisco..." (Kerouac, 78).
Kerouac seems to fond over nature. He uses the scenery as transitions between chapters using vivid imagery. Here on page 78, he dedicates a long description about what Frisco really meant to him. It wasn't really spending time with Remi and Lee Ann because if it was he would've mentioned that.
No, he says "That was Frisco" referring to the beautiful environment of San Francisco. So far, everybody has disappointed him; even though he constantly sticks up for them. One thing that never disappoints him is America's Beauty.
Clearly, there's something else inspiring him to continue on with his journey. Yes, he wants to travel to Texas to see his buddies, but I think he wants to see what Texas is about. I can't help but to recall Wordsworth's "Prelude" about how Nature is holy and healing.
For some reason this passage stood out to me. I finally realized that Kerouac is celebrating what is all around us. If we take the time and reflect upon our environment, maybe we'll become inspired too. Does anybody else see this or am I as "mad" as the rest of the people in this crazy book"?!?!?!!
Dissatisfaction.
" 'Now you got to make up your mind one way or the other, or you'll never get anywhere'...I didn't know what to say; he was right; but all I wanted to do was sneak out into the night and disappear somewhere, and go and find out what everybody was doing all over the country" (Kerouac 67)
Shortly after his arrival in San Francisco, Sal begins to feel weary of the bland working world. His high expectations of the adventure lying in wait in San Francisco are quickly contradicted by reality. Sal's life in San Francisco is the antithesis of his life in Denver. He longed for a change in scenery from Denver, and yet his unhappiness is apparent throughout the entire chapter. He seems to be thrilled by the adventures of others more so than by his personal adventures (probably due to the fact that they tend to end in disappointment). So, Sal achieves his desired happiness by living vicariously through the seemingly adventurous lives of his friends. At the end of the chapter, he finally admits to himself that his initial perception of California and the grandeur of the West may have been slightly jaded by his dissatisfaction with his life in New York.
Why does Sal automatically assume that if someone he meets seems mildly shady, then they must be "running from the law"?
Shortly after his arrival in San Francisco, Sal begins to feel weary of the bland working world. His high expectations of the adventure lying in wait in San Francisco are quickly contradicted by reality. Sal's life in San Francisco is the antithesis of his life in Denver. He longed for a change in scenery from Denver, and yet his unhappiness is apparent throughout the entire chapter. He seems to be thrilled by the adventures of others more so than by his personal adventures (probably due to the fact that they tend to end in disappointment). So, Sal achieves his desired happiness by living vicariously through the seemingly adventurous lives of his friends. At the end of the chapter, he finally admits to himself that his initial perception of California and the grandeur of the West may have been slightly jaded by his dissatisfaction with his life in New York.
Why does Sal automatically assume that if someone he meets seems mildly shady, then they must be "running from the law"?
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Lover
“I spun around till I was dizzy; I thought I’d fall down as in a dream, clear off the precipice. Oh where is the girl I love? I thought, and looked everywhere, as I had looked everywhere in the little world below.” “…New York was throwing up its cloud of dust and brown steam. There is something brown and holy about the East; and California is white like washlines and emptyheaded” (p. 79)
This quote interested me the most because throughout the novel Sal becomes attracted to almost every beauty that he comes into contact with. During his time in California, Sal meets up with his old college friend Remi . This chapter shows how Sal stole Remi’s girlfriend in the past and made her his wife, soon to be ex-wife. The two buddies meet up and Sal is warned not to flirt with his lover, Lee Ann. Towards the end of the chapter, Sal is urged to “jump down from the mast and land right in her”. He even tries a couple of tricks in order to land a girlfriend, but is unsuccessful and many times lands a homosexual man instead. This allows me to conclude that Sal might have gone on this adventure in order to find himself a companion for his lonely life back in New Jersey. His searches in New York and California were fruitless, so he continues on to Asia in hopes that he will be rewarded for his efforts.
On page 77, Sal explains that he is “one of the very few people in the world who knew what a genuine and grand fellow” Remi was yet he spoils the entire dinner by getting unnecessarily drunk. Why?
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
"One Last Thing"
“Why do you bring that up again?”
“There’s one last thing I want to know—“
“But, dear Sal, you’re listening, you’re sitting there, we’ll ask Sal. What would he say?”
And I said, “That last thing is what you can’t get, Carlo. Nobody can get to that last thing. We keep on living in hopes of catching it once for all.” (page 48)
The "last thing" in the above quote is the thing which will satisfy one’s being, feeling as though one has completely finished something and has no need to search anymore. I find this passage interesting because it seems to me, although somewhat critiquing this quixotic notion of living in search for something no one can ever achieve, that this in fact is something that spurred Sal himself towards taking to the road. He left his home because all of his curiosity for the place had evaporated. His home had become somewhat dead to him. He went in search of something new, something fresh, something alive, something he didn’t know. Denver in itself becomes a wild road trip for Sal as he zooms around with all his friends, getting seemingly very little sleep. It is as if Sal is afraid to sleep too much because he might miss that next thing that he is in search of. And it seems like wherever Sal goes, this is the way he must live. Never really resting, always on the go. It is as if this is the only way he feels that he can get at what he is trying to find. But this next thing isn’t the last thing he will be searching for in life. The search and discovery of this next thing, whatever it may be, which could even be the road trip itself, is just another phase in his life. And after this next thing he will be in search of another thing and another thing after that and so on. There is never a last thing and can never be a last thing. And with this attitude, he fails to look in the crevices of life, to dig deeper into the things around him to get to know what they are really all about. He seems to only absorb the very surface of things. He meets people that seem to move him and he fails to get to know them. He fails to carry with him from his encounters with others their true identities, only his image of their true identities.
In my opinion, if he slowed down a little he could get a lot more out of where he is and have time to reflect on where he has been. Maybe if he slowed down, his relationships with the people he meets on the road would be more meaningful and he could find what he is looking for faster and have it last longer.
Is there anything that is ever really complete? The more empty a person’s life is, the more that person frantically searches for something to fill their lives. Could this be the case for Sal?
“There’s one last thing I want to know—“
“But, dear Sal, you’re listening, you’re sitting there, we’ll ask Sal. What would he say?”
And I said, “That last thing is what you can’t get, Carlo. Nobody can get to that last thing. We keep on living in hopes of catching it once for all.” (page 48)
The "last thing" in the above quote is the thing which will satisfy one’s being, feeling as though one has completely finished something and has no need to search anymore. I find this passage interesting because it seems to me, although somewhat critiquing this quixotic notion of living in search for something no one can ever achieve, that this in fact is something that spurred Sal himself towards taking to the road. He left his home because all of his curiosity for the place had evaporated. His home had become somewhat dead to him. He went in search of something new, something fresh, something alive, something he didn’t know. Denver in itself becomes a wild road trip for Sal as he zooms around with all his friends, getting seemingly very little sleep. It is as if Sal is afraid to sleep too much because he might miss that next thing that he is in search of. And it seems like wherever Sal goes, this is the way he must live. Never really resting, always on the go. It is as if this is the only way he feels that he can get at what he is trying to find. But this next thing isn’t the last thing he will be searching for in life. The search and discovery of this next thing, whatever it may be, which could even be the road trip itself, is just another phase in his life. And after this next thing he will be in search of another thing and another thing after that and so on. There is never a last thing and can never be a last thing. And with this attitude, he fails to look in the crevices of life, to dig deeper into the things around him to get to know what they are really all about. He seems to only absorb the very surface of things. He meets people that seem to move him and he fails to get to know them. He fails to carry with him from his encounters with others their true identities, only his image of their true identities.
In my opinion, if he slowed down a little he could get a lot more out of where he is and have time to reflect on where he has been. Maybe if he slowed down, his relationships with the people he meets on the road would be more meaningful and he could find what he is looking for faster and have it last longer.
Is there anything that is ever really complete? The more empty a person’s life is, the more that person frantically searches for something to fill their lives. Could this be the case for Sal?
Sal Gets Lost
"I was so interested in the opera that for a while I forgot the circumstances of my crazy life and got lost in the great mournful sounds of Beethoven and the rich Rembrandt tones of his story." (page 52)
Here Kerouac displays the therapeutic aspect of a good road trip, in allowing a traveler to experience life from a different perspective. Sal's spontaneity and poor planning have gotten him lost, spatially, in a few instances thus far. In this quote, Sal experiences the invaluable feeling of truly "[getting] lost" in thought. He manages to to fully immerse himself in the sounds of the opera, and in doing so, frees his mind from the usual worries of his "crazy life." It seems as though Kerouac values the ability of a good road trip to renew an individual mentally, as the normal "circumstances" or obstacles of everyday life do not always apply. In a sense, a good road trip can be a liberating experience, an escape from various limitations often set by society.
Sal concludes that Gene travels "because he had no place he could stay in without getting tired of it and because there was nowhere to got but everywhere..." (26). Are these the same factors that influence Sal to travel, or is his motivation unique within itself?
Here Kerouac displays the therapeutic aspect of a good road trip, in allowing a traveler to experience life from a different perspective. Sal's spontaneity and poor planning have gotten him lost, spatially, in a few instances thus far. In this quote, Sal experiences the invaluable feeling of truly "[getting] lost" in thought. He manages to to fully immerse himself in the sounds of the opera, and in doing so, frees his mind from the usual worries of his "crazy life." It seems as though Kerouac values the ability of a good road trip to renew an individual mentally, as the normal "circumstances" or obstacles of everyday life do not always apply. In a sense, a good road trip can be a liberating experience, an escape from various limitations often set by society.
Sal concludes that Gene travels "because he had no place he could stay in without getting tired of it and because there was nowhere to got but everywhere..." (26). Are these the same factors that influence Sal to travel, or is his motivation unique within itself?
The Excitement of Night
I chose the following quote for my latest blog:
"It was a wonderful night. Central City is two miles high; at first you get drunk on the altitude, then you get tired, and there's a fever in your soul. We approached the lights around the opera house down the narrow dark street; then we took a sharp right and hit some old saloons with swinging doors. Most of the tourists were in the opera. We started off with a few extra-size beers. There was a player piano. Beyond the back door was a view of mountainsides in the moonlight. I let out a yahoo. The night was on."
Kerouac went on this roadtrip to find something exciting in his life, and this passage perfectly captures this essence. There's something magical and lively about venturing out in a new town or city, especially at night. Humans can't see as well at night as they can during the day, so humans then tend to notice more details at night. Not small details, of course; but the eyes of humans at night are always alert, always seeking something that stands out from the enveloping darkness. I can only imagine how enticing the lights of the opera must have seemed to Jack Kerouac, especially considering the fact that said opera was located in a contrasting dark alley. And all of these feelings are only magnified with friends, as Kerouac was.
When I read this excerpt, I couldn't help but be reminded of Grad Night. When I was a Senior in high school, our class took a week-long trip to Disney World, and one of these nights was called Grad Night, a night where the Magic Kingdom is open to only Seniors until the wee hours of the morning. I've been to Disney World many, many times in my lifetime, but this trip was especially memorable to me because I got to experience the Magic Kingdom at night with my best friends. The whole park was lit in purple, pink, yellow, and green lights; and pop music played throughout the park instead of the usual Disney World tunes. I felt like that night lasted forever. While I was there, anything was possible. It reminded me of the love I have for my friends and just how blessed I've been to lead such an enjoyable life. This is the feeling I believe that Jack Kerouac felt in the excerpt I selected: His roadtrip led to the excitement of life itself.
"It was a wonderful night. Central City is two miles high; at first you get drunk on the altitude, then you get tired, and there's a fever in your soul. We approached the lights around the opera house down the narrow dark street; then we took a sharp right and hit some old saloons with swinging doors. Most of the tourists were in the opera. We started off with a few extra-size beers. There was a player piano. Beyond the back door was a view of mountainsides in the moonlight. I let out a yahoo. The night was on."
Kerouac went on this roadtrip to find something exciting in his life, and this passage perfectly captures this essence. There's something magical and lively about venturing out in a new town or city, especially at night. Humans can't see as well at night as they can during the day, so humans then tend to notice more details at night. Not small details, of course; but the eyes of humans at night are always alert, always seeking something that stands out from the enveloping darkness. I can only imagine how enticing the lights of the opera must have seemed to Jack Kerouac, especially considering the fact that said opera was located in a contrasting dark alley. And all of these feelings are only magnified with friends, as Kerouac was.
When I read this excerpt, I couldn't help but be reminded of Grad Night. When I was a Senior in high school, our class took a week-long trip to Disney World, and one of these nights was called Grad Night, a night where the Magic Kingdom is open to only Seniors until the wee hours of the morning. I've been to Disney World many, many times in my lifetime, but this trip was especially memorable to me because I got to experience the Magic Kingdom at night with my best friends. The whole park was lit in purple, pink, yellow, and green lights; and pop music played throughout the park instead of the usual Disney World tunes. I felt like that night lasted forever. While I was there, anything was possible. It reminded me of the love I have for my friends and just how blessed I've been to lead such an enjoyable life. This is the feeling I believe that Jack Kerouac felt in the excerpt I selected: His roadtrip led to the excitement of life itself.
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