On the Road, by Jack Kerouac was considered to be the first “beat” novel. The lifestyle of beats is explained as going against mainstream norms. The two main characters in the novel Dean and Sal both go against normal society. On the Road was written during a time when mainstream society was in to materialistic possessions. The average person was concerned with having a good paying job and raising a family in the suburbs. Beatniks had the complete opposite goals in life then the average person. Beats wanted to be different and not be tied down to a signal job for the rest of their lives. They believed that mainstream society were slaves to the system. Dean and Sal lived their life one day at a time not worrying about where they were going to sleep or get money for the next meal. Dean and Sal’s lives were based opposite of the typical persons life; and that is how they felt comfortable. Things that were not ordinarily respected in normal society were comfortable for both Dean and Sal. Dean’s character in the story was very important because it showed that a person does not have to go with traditional society. An example of Dean going against normal mainstream culture is the fact that he was in
prison for a time in his life. People who follow conventional society would look down on someone who has been in jail. But, Sal and his other beatnik friends do not seem to judge Dean on his past criminal record. “He was a young jail kid all hung-up on the wonderful possibilities of becoming a real intellectual (p3).” The common person thinks of jail as a place for societies uneducated sick-minded criminal. Dean is portrayed as a conman although; Deans’ friends do not mind his conning ways. “He was simply a youth tremendously excited with life, and though he was a con-man. He was conning me and I knew it (for room and board and how to write), and he knew I knew (this has been the basis of our relationship), but I didn’t care and we got along fine-no pestering, no catering; we tiptoed around each other like heartbreaking new friends (p4).” Dean also, went against common culture at that time by traveling and working at odd jobs for small amounts of money to stay alive. Dean worked wherever he could to make money for food and his travel expenses. When he was visiting Sal in New York he got a job a car garage. To most people they would think that a job working in a garage and parking peoples’ cars is embarrassing. Dean bragged about being
Example Essays Home
