Sal once again allows himself to be used. Although his tolerance for and acceptance of other people do allow for some very interesting experiences and situations, he is also hurting himself, spending much of his money and ultimately limiting his happiness and the extent of his travels. I’m afraid that Kerouac is setting up Sal, who is this innocent kid traveling west with wide eyes and a hopeful open mind, who so ready to accept everything, just to be crushed. I believe that Sal is romanticizing the characteristics of many of the characters he meets and places he sees, and exaggerates what he believes makes them compelling, whether it be the “beautiful bevies everywhere” (15) in Des Moines or the fact the apple pie keeps getting better and bigger as he moves further west.
The part of the reading that I enjoyed the most are the scenes where Sal is lying on his back on the flat bed of the truck, watching the scenery and landscape change around him where he describes his journey “like riding a railroad, just as steady and just as straight” (28). The entire time I spent reading the passage I was reminded of the scenes from Forrest Gump, during which Forest is running cross country. I felt the same wonder and serenity reading this passage as I did watching the movie.
It was definitely interesting reading these chapters while driving from Hartford, Connecticut to Columbus, Ohio touring colleges, and being able to see how much the characteristics of the landscape, people, and even the weather could change so drastically from town to town.
I am fascinated with your idea that the narrator is going to be disappointed once he finally reaches the west. When I was reading, I actually wondered what the rest of the novel would bring us, since only four chapters into it, the narrator is already more than halfway through “the road” to the west. Moreover, I was curious as to see whether the novel would have a fairytale-type happy ending with the narrator achieving his dreams in the west, or if there would be the presentation of new challenges once he gets to the west. I think it will be interesting to see whether or not Gioia’s prediction is accurate. In addition, I would also agree that the narrator has a lot of “hype” behind the idea of going out west. To a great extent, it seems as though the west represents greater opportunities and a new beginning for the narrator.
ReplyDeleteNot only did I find Gioia’s prediction to be interesting, but I was also intrigued by her relation to the novel during her college visits. I also thought about a variety of circumstances in which I compared other parts of the United States to Miami and realized the vast number of similarities and differences. Moreover, as Gioia conveys, just a short trip from “town to town” can project huge cultural and environmental distinctions.