The Road and The American Experience - Book Report/Review Example

? The Road and The American Experience Based after the Second World War during the cold war period, On The Road is a novel that focuses on the societal challenges that the young generation of this period experienced. Subsequent to the Second World War America struggled so much with communism. The youth lacked guidance hence the word ‘Beat’. The term beat referred to the young generation in the 1940s and 1950s, and attempts they made to find an inner meaning to life and a sense of belonging (Kerouac, 2007). Witten in April 1957 by Jack Kerouac the novel depicts the story of perpetual personal pursuit for meaning and belonging. The novel focuses on a stage in American History when society preferred conformity to mingling with outsiders. This novel is among many other books that criticize the American culture during this period. An eccentric attitude characterized the arts and the trendy culture of the 1950s as a way of rejecting communal norms. More over the Beat generation were fervent about drugs, carefree life, poetry, jazz music and other intolerable elements in the society. The Beat generation suffered both personal and external conflicts (Kerouac, 2010). The novel is a narration of Sal Paradise, a burgeoning novelist. It revolves around his friendship with the happy-go-lucky and gratis spirited character Dean Moriarty. The novel On The Road is chiefly autobiographical of Jack Kerouac’s personal events. Inspired by real events, the novel captures Sal Paradise’s journey across America to Mexico in a captivating and poetical way. The characters and experiences in the novel are a representation of real life events and real people. The narration commences in the winter of 1947 when the overzealous and rapturous Dean Moriarty joins Sal Paradise, with his other scholarly friends in New York. They embark on a wild and eccentric three year journey on and off through America (Kerouac, 2007). . Throughout all of this invariable movement, they come into touch with spectacular landscapes and features, people from all lifestyles and drama that contribute to the personal growth and development of the characters in the novel. Amid all these adventures and escapades, Sal Paradise and his friend Dean, differ profoundly on life matters. Dean, a notorious womanizer, ends up with three women and four children by the end of his three-year journey. At the being, of the novel Dean’s wild nature and love for life inspires and motivates Sal who at this stage is hopeless and depressed. As the novel progresses, it turns out that Dean and Sal have a lot in common (Kerouac, 2007). However, the two characters vary in terms of commitment. Sal is a deep thinking individual with an objective of finding a purpose in life then settling down. Dean on the other spectrum is an irrepressible individual who cares about nothing but himself. As the plot winds up, the author portrays the intensity of Sal’s internal conflict in the quest for elation of life and, on the other hand, as a character torn between fantasy land and the reality of living a responsible life (Kerouac, 2010). Sal embarks on the road to find meaning and purpose in life. He hopes that, by the end of his journey, he will find his niche and purpose in life. Then, sense of belonging is a key theme tackled in the novel. The young people of this generation experimented with drugs and unpopular form of art and music, in order to find answers to their undying questions. These activities went against the societal norms of the traditional American society. This period gave rise to a new culture of drugs alcohol and wild parties. Den Moriarty in the novel represents this young generation (Kerouac, 2010). Dean does not care much about responsibility. He is a constant womanizer who leaves a trail broken hearts wherever he goes. His villain character does not develop but remains constant throughout the novel. While, on the road, the two characters encountered foreign lands and different life styles. The narrator hopes to find some sought inspiration or divine intervention through his journey interaction with different people to find a purpose in life. Hope of the unknown and inspiration from unknown realm can be termed as a religion. The two friends journeyed across America in order to find a niche in the community and answers to their problems. The young generation of this period had varied perspectives of God, depending on their personal experiences (Kerouac, 2010). Wild, liberal and defiant termed the Beat generation. They did not respect the societal value of conformity in America. Sal and Dean even interact with a gay man something that was alien at that stage in American history. Moreover, Sal meets with a Mexican girl and moves in with her to her family home. However, Sal abandons the Mexican girl for life on the road. Their interactions with outsiders differed with the expectations of the society. In a wider spectrum, On the Road’s main theme is about the appropriate way of growing up. Unlike his ally Dean Moriarty, Sal Paradise struggles with getting out adolescent stage, as opposed to delaying it. Dean Moriarty’s behavior is that of a child. Dean is always in the move without a care in the world. Sal struggles so much to balance the two contrasting forces. Without doubt, The American Experience has transformed radically compared to the writings of Jack Kerouac. In his days, matters like homosexuality were taboo. However, in the present America, homosexuality has become a social norm and a part of life. Various states have permitted same sex marriages. Contrary to the 1940s homosexuals do not have to hide, they intermingle with other citizens freely, as compared to era of Sal Paradise when the society discriminated against anyone who declared themselves gay. In the American experience, the society has become more accommodating to people of different backgrounds. The society no longer observes conformity as foreigners flock the country to achieve the American Dream (Bruun, 2002). Intermarriages between different racial backgrounds have become a social norm and crossbreeds enjoy the rights of any other American citizen. The society has become more tolerant of radical and bizarre forms of entertainment and art. The interaction of people of the different background has diversified the American culture making it rich and enthralling. Traditional Americans have had to adapt to the new era. The society becoming more accepting has made it easier for the young people to grow up fast and find their niche in the community. Compared to the On the Road, In the American Experience young people no longer have to hide their feelings or struggle to fit it in, in order to gain the societal acceptance. In the period of the road, it was impossible to achieve a dream once the society considered it too radical. However, in the Modern day America anything goes as long as it does not affect a fellow citizen. In the new dawn, the society is no longer conservative, but embraces foreign culture unlike, On The Road, the society did not accept foreigners or interact with them (Bruun, 2002). The society looked down upon Sal Paradise and his friends for interacting with the Mexicans. The youth in the present day are more responsible than the 1940s and they do not need to engage into reckless in order activities to belong. The main issue that stands out in both The Road and The American Experience is the sense of belonging. Characters struggle with both internal and external forces to belong. The society exerts a lot of pressure on characters on what they ought to be rather than what the characters want. The writers portray the role of the society in shaping an individual’s destiny. In both cases, we see that the society can affect both positively and negatively on an individual’s life (Gillon, 2009). Characters struggle to find their niche some emerge victorious while others get stuck on one phase of their life. Sal Paradise finds love and settles down, but his friends Dean continues with his reckless life moving from one woman to another. The road and the American Experience represent two contradictory stages of American History. On The Road represents a conservative period in American history that is rigid and not accommodating to social changes. However, in the American Experience the society welcomes modification. Consequently, achieving a dream is much easier in the American Experience compared to the era of the road. Need for change also qualifies as an issue that both characters and writers struggle with in both periods (Gillon, 2009). . Work Cited. Bruun, E. (2002). The American Experience. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Gillon, S. M. (2009). The American Experiment. Houghton Mifflin : Boston. Kerouac, J. (2010). Beat Generation. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press. Kerouac, J. (2007). On the road. New York: Viking. Read More