Finally

Pedro Diaz

Mr. Shapiro

May 5, 2014

Period 2

Throughout literature, authors are generally inclined to write about events and situations that they have experienced themselves. For instance, Jack Kerouac, born in 1922, lived to see the intense racial discrimination of the early 20th century that preceded the hippie movement in the 60’s and 70’s. Moreover, in works such as On the Road, Kerouac’s experiences act as a clear motive with the inclusion of topics such as the “Beat Generation” and the all new “western” mindset. As a result, after being published in 1957, the novel drew a great amount of attention for  its praise of the “beatniks” and its support of racial equality and liberalism. Jack Kerouac’s novel goes beyond describing a journey; instead, through the manipulation of characters and their actions, the author is ultimately able to portray one of the most complex time periods in American history. 

One of the major reasons for the novel’s controversial release was the author’s revolutionary portrayal of a variety of different cultures. Sal and Dean, the novel’s two main protagonists, spend a seemingly endless journey across the nation where they meet people of different ethnicities and backgrounds. Possibly the most intriguing scene in the novel occurs when the two characters are in Louisiana and they recognize the African American musicians for their great talents. Prior to the “Beat Generation”, the concept of allowing black musicians to perform publicly would be considered disgraceful. However, the “beatniks” accepted the fact that the African Americans were different in skin color in exchange for their expertise in jazz music. Not only did African Americans begin performing at local venues, but they also became popular enough to define the new identity of places such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The influence of jazz in the novel is both clear and significant in that it reveals the characters’ perspectives on racial injustice. Rather than ignoring the obvious talent, nearly every character in the novel embraces the black men for their abilities. Sal and Dean become so engaged with jazz to the extent that they attend many performances including those of Slim Gaillard, one of the most recognized jazz musicians in history. Even when spending time in other cities outside of Louisiana, the characters’ affection for jazz still plays a role as they drink at bars in New York and Virginia that feature local African American performers. As the novel progresses, the characters regularly meet at nightclubs and bars where the sound of jazz music acts as an indicator of the iconic time period. The growing recognition of black musicians provided the support for a generation that would become more respectful and willing to take part in activities with people of other cultures. Jack Kerouac’s heavy focus on jazz music in On the Road presents the idea that Americans would no longer shun raw talent because of race.

In addition to a great emphasis on African American culture in Jack Kerouac’s novel, the whole concept of “western” is one that is truly defined in the work. It seems as if the characters are in a constant effort to get out west if they are not already there. Since the beginning of the novel, Sal’s major commitment is to get to California. At first, the audience may question the great desire to go out west. What does it have to offer? What makes it different from the rest of the country? The answer to these questions lies in the liberal nature of the west that was even more prominent during the novel’s setting. In comparison to the conservative east, the west was accepting of different cultures and races in addition to a more “care-free” lifestyle which became an attractive option to many young people, later known as the “Beat Generation”. Sal was a part of this movement and he became intrigued at the possibility of moving from the east and having a similar life to Dean Moriarty. In the first few chapters of the novel, the audience is exposed to a transition from east to west as Sal journeys cross-country. It seems as if with every day that passes, the setting becomes less and less stringent. By the time Sal reaches Denver, he begins to attend parties that would be considered low-class or “trashy” in the east. Moreover, as soon as Sal settles in California, the difference in culture becomes evident. Everything from smoking marijuana to sleeping with ten women in one night was considered acceptable during Sal’s stay, any idea that would be considered insane anywhere in the east. For this exact reason, Sal remains motivated to remain in the west and leave his old life in the past. The reader sees a clear shift from the boring and uneventful first half of the novel to the more climactic second half as Sal has become shaped by the “Beat Generation”.

One of the major characteristics of the mid 1900’s was clearly defined gender roles. While men were seen as the hard workers that brought money and capital to the country, women were seen as the possessions of men and were evaluated primarily for their looks and sexual abilities. When analyzing On the Road, nearly every women in the novel is unemployed or has a profession that fits the stereotype of the time. For instance, many of the women that Sal and Dean run into work as waitresses at bars or restaurants rather than other careers that offer higher salaries and more power. An element that is imminent in exposing the attitude towards women at the time is the way that the characters speak about other women and the interactions between male and female characters. Sal describes a “Mexican and beautiful” waitress (29), a “beautiful Colorado gal” (32), and a “beautiful blonde called Babe” (37); every single one of these remarks made by the male characters in the novel establishes the idea that women were nothing but sources of sexual pleasure for men. Nearly every time a male character in the novel sees a woman, they either think or comment on her looks and what they would do with her in bed. There is not one relationship in the novel between a man and a woman that is strictly a friendship. Every relationship has some sort of a sexual basis from which the male character finds talking to the woman even worth it. Dean Moriarty is the epitome of this idea in that he only acts based on his sexual needs and desires. Throughout the entire novel, Dean is sleeping with at least three women at once and he barely becomes affected emotionally. Meanwhile, when characters such as Marylou and Camille speak to Dean, it is evident that the women have some feelings beyond those that are sexual for Dean. With this idea in mind, Kerouac is portraying the idea that women strive more towards a relationship more than just sex in comparison to the emotionally disconnected men. Overall, the men find some sort of superiority over the women in the novel that represents the attitude that was given towards women at this time in American history. 

After an in-depth analysis of Jack Kerouac’s novel as a whole, the novel’s message becomes relatively apparent. On the Road was revolutionary in that it not only provided for a commentary on culture diffusion but it also discussed the overall impact of a movement like the Beat Generation. The work was one of the first literary pieces to endorse the acceptance of other cultures and minorities and to support the liberal reality of western America. For this exact reason, the novel played a major influence on its audience after its release in 1957. The novel’s publishing preceded the great hippie movement of the 60’s and 70’s and it saw the early formation of the Beat Generation. The “beatniks” had not become a well-known part of society until a few years after the novel’s initial sales to the general public. Kerouac’s work was a significant contributor to the growing popularity of the Beat movement and the spread of a new tolerance for a number of cultures in America. When young people began to first read On the Road, they became fascinated with the ideas that were presented. Throughout the novel, there are a variety of scenes that indicate the author’s support of the liberal lifestyle that is permitted in the west. As a young audience reads more and more about these possibilities where people can come together at events and use drugs and alcohol and have multiple sexual relationships without being heavily criticized, there is a sense of great interest. The reality is that young people are always in conflict with their preceding generation, and in this specific instance, the preceding generation was extremely conservative. As a result, the “beatniks” became obsessed with the idea of rebelling and becoming part of a group that supported a completely “carefree” way of life and that allowed for the acceptance of different cultures and minorities (Literature Periods & Movements). All in all, the novel made a clear impact on its audience, both young and old, by opening their eyes to new possibilities that had always been condemned in American society. 

One of the issues that people run into is the difference between the “beatniks” and “hippies” and the transition between the Beat and Hippie movements. A comparison between the two is simple. While the Beat Generation had a more well rounded set of views that also sought racial equality and an end to discrimination, the “hippies’” mindset was limited to striving  solely towards a society without rules and regulations in terms of the excessive use of drugs and alcohol in an effort to create a sense of community. The basis to the hippie movement was to create a generation that was interconnected through its culture (StudyMode). In other words, the “hippies” sought a nation where all the young men and women went beyond just sharing the same beliefs. Instead, leaders of the movement hoped for a society where the new generation would have the same taste preferences in relation to popular culture, most commonly music, that would lead to a greater sense of community between a group of people that was brought together at first for an essentially political reason.

It is difficult to asses the value of a novel without considering the immediate affects on its audience as a whole. There is arguably no novel better than Jack Kerouac’s On the Road to portray the validity of this concept. The novel is in a continuous effort to promote the idea of racial equality by including scenes where different cultures, primarily African American, are characterized by their unique abilities and talents. Moreover, the novel also delves into the initial prospects of the Beat Generation out west in Colorado and California where the idea of being “carefree” in one’s approach is widely accepted. As a result of the novel’s controversial description of a number of topics that were usually condemned for their liberal nature, Kerouac’s work instigated a polemic where nearly every young American was fascinated at the ideas that were presented while the older generations shunned the lack of values being depicted. The novel was inarguably a source of tension and heated conversation when it was released because of the fact that the Beat movement had not even become popular throughout most of the country, nevertheless accepted. Looking back nearly six decades later, it is a strong possibility that the novel drew a great amount of attention to a movement that was in need of some sort of recognition. In addition, the literary work likely inspired many young Americans to fulfill the expectations of the “beatniks” and become a part of a generation that would allow them to become more like the characters of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty. 

Works Cited

“Beat Generation and Hippie Movement by Natcirco.” StudyMode. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2014. <http://www.studymode.com/essays/Beat-Generation-And-Hippie-Movement-821442.html>. 

Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. New York, NY, U.S.A.: Penguin Books, 1999. Print.

“The Beat Generation.” Literature Periods & Movements. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2014. <http://www.online-literature.com/period/beat.php>.