Thesis and Outline (Meagan Adler)

Thesis: As Sal and Dean aimlessly wander throughout the nation on their cyclical journey, Jack Kerouac underscores the Kafkaesque idea that the individual is destined to fail as he is inevitably forced to conform to the socially accepted member of the flock in a restrictive country where societal institutions are ultimately inescapable.  

Introduction

·      Introduce the idea of societal institutions and their purpose in a country

·      Relate the purpose of Sal and Dean’s journey to the societal institutions

o   how these institutions limit he individual

o   how the Beat Generation, which Dean leads, tries to escape these institutions

·      Discuss the idea that Sal and Dean constantly end back home, under the roof of the societal institution of family because these institutions are inescapable, restrict the “young, wild, and free” mentality

·      Thesis: As Sal and Dean aimlessly wander throughout the nation on their cyclical journey, Jack Kerouac underscores the Kafkaesque idea that the individual is destined to fail as he is inevitably forced to conform to the socially accepted member of the flock in a restrictive country where societal institutions are ultimately inescapable. 

Body Paragraphs  

·      Institution of State

o   Discuss the many times they have been stopped by the police

o   Discuss the need for money

o   How do they try to rebel? By stealing.  Yet ultimately, their need for money becomes so important that they turn to family. (institutions support each other).  For example, they constantly turn to Sal’s aunt for money.

o   State ultimately wins as they return back home and conform to society’s expectations.

·      Institution of Family

o   Constantly return back home on their cyclical journey, under the familial roof

o   Dean’s search for his dad

·      Institution of Church  

o   Institution of church implements itself within the Beat culture, for Sal sees Dean as his God

o   Sal cannot be an individual, for he has conformed to the almost religious culture of the Beat Generation

·      Fringes of Society

o   Whenever Sal sees the fringes of society he turns back home

o   Shows that his journey to become an individual ultimately fails because society wins

§  Society purposely allows the fringes to exist to pull people back

·      The Shift to the Liberal Left

o   Although the Beat Generation fails to become complete individuals, it does shift society to the liberal left

Conclusion

o   Whether it is through Dean and Sal’s constant need for money, Dean’s search for his father, or the religion of the Beat Generation, Kerouac shows us that society fails the individual.