For your book report, I would you you to answer one of the following questions:
Discuss the relationship between men and women in the novel. Are Sal and Dean justified in the ways they treat women?
or
Do the characters in On the Road have any sense of morality? Explain your idea of morality and then discuss which, if any of, the characters fit into it.
This should be at least 400 words and divided into a traditional 5-paragraph essay, with an introductory paragraph and a conclusion. See here for help on this style of essay.
This essay is due Monday. You will lose 10% per day that it is late, and it is worth 5% of your final grade.
Monday, July 13, 2009
10 comments:
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BOOK REPORT: ON THE ROAD
ReplyDeleteIn the novel On the Road, written by Jack Kerouac, the writer describes the relations of the young generation in a permanent conflict with the moral values laid down by society. This leads us to ask: ¿Do the characters On the Road has any sense of morality? ¿What is moral? ¿ Do any of the characters fit in it?.
Is said to act morally when we respect the customs, values and standards set and accepted by society. In the novel, each character has it own personality and its own criterion of morality, and this leads not only to renounce the morality imposed and hit her, but placed outside of society and its laws; almost all of them addicted to alcohol, marijuana and sex, this also occurs in women who appear in the novel, to be enlisted on a trips with a few individuals, flirting with everyone, and breaking the values on women in that time.
Its two main characters are Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, the latter being the central figure. It is a juvenile delinquent, hyperactive, alcoholic, obsessed by sex, which gets easily convince Sal to follow him on his trips throughout the United States and beyond Mexico, traveling in stolen cars; ramshackle, picking up hitchhiker in exchange for gas, without food, days without stopping driving without sleep, at full speed, risking their lives in every bend an at the same time, while all this occurs, keeping conversations unrelated to a madman.
A character that makes moral balance is Camille, one of the wives of Dean Moriarty, who in spite of the irresponsibility and the many things she did, loved him and expected a change in their lives, this is proved in the last chaper, "The Last Goodbye", "Broke my hearth when I saw you go away...I want Sal and his friend to come and live in the same street...I pray you'll get back safely...I can not help worringer Dean dear, its the end of the first half of the century. Welcome with love and kisses the other half to epend with us. Signed, Camille..."
In conclusion: in Kerouac's novel we see the human condition of a generation with their flaws and strengtht, its weaknesses, making everyday a justification to break the morale established. Is trying to find himself, always looking for the perfect destination. It is a different way of perceiving reality from the actors completely fantastic and unreal.
RODRIGO MARTINEZ
BIBLIOGRAPHY
KEROUAC, JACK. On the Road. Series Editors: Andy Hopkins and Jocelyn Potter. Fourth Impression. 2005.
Jack Kerouac
ReplyDeleteThis book about lots of adventure and crazy things, its about two good friends, it started with a boy who don’t really know what he wants for his life, he grew up in a jail kids because his parents never take care about him, his name its Salt. He was a teenager when he got married with a girl called Marylou, they arrived to New York for first time and they stayed there for a while. When Salt met Dean they each other became friends and since that moment their big adventures started to take place. They started to travel and had lot of fun, they loved to met girls and enjoyed them, and they liked to live their life day a day. That’s why they never got worry about their future or about what they can do for them self in a future.
Ones of the things that made them became good friends was that they both wanted to travel across United States of America, and have fun in every single place they went, they were young’s and without responsibilities so they were able to do what they want, and look for a way to get money like to drive cars and also take advantage going free to the next place to have more and more fun.
When they both started to travel everything was crazy and cool, probably they were living the best moments in their life’s, drinking a lot, having fun any where and any time, and the best for them was spend time with girls, but Deans specialty was to lie and play with girls after to left them us they were used just like and object.
They were young’s and they weren’t worry to have a job, or don’t have enough money for live, they were accustom to live their lives day a day without preoccupations. That’s what was important for them to enjoyed everything lives bring for them, but these magician style of life has to over one day and until it arrives they’ll know they had lost all their youth in bars and girls and then just in that moment they are going to think they don’t have nothing to offer no one.
They have had a really exacting live, travelling around United States, meeting some beautiful girls and living how ever they can, they have try all kind of ways to live and love, but what about the other people who have been around them. Do they think that is just for all that people deserve to be used or lied for them, probably it wasn’t their intention but now they had hurt more people than they can imagine. Its no fear for no one but never its late to repent from your past and try to have a normal live, sheering with people who really loves you.
By: Indira Espín
The irresponsibility of a father, live the unique life as we like, take something that doesn´t belong to us for necessity in the worse moment of our lives can be judged or condemned? The sense of morality in "On the road" can be condemned or judge for many people in our society but many other people can be agreement with the actions described in this book.
ReplyDeleteThe morality of a person can be measured? there is something wrong on a person like Dean who likes to have many women for him?. Or something is good if he is honest and tell his girls all about his ralationships with the others and they don´t have problems with this?. Wath happened with guys that try to be entirely correct? Are better his opportunities with the laidies? Are the immorality actions of the men the tempting apple for the bitches?
Dean was a person, who likes to enjoy his life with many adventures all the time, he can enjoy beers everywhere with friends and girls that he met throughout the road, he can found a roof whenever he want, he know steal if it´s necesary and he know where he can found a good job. He doesn´t have a lot of money and his morality ca be judged wrongdoing and in spite of this his friend Sal, a correct guy, and many people, prefers a life in the road with him, whit a strong life.
The wrong actions born in the good actions, when we need to eat, when we are alone, when we meed something to wear, and anybody want to help us or help a love person. What can we do when we are in troubles and we can´t found the correct way.
I think the sense of morality is building in a society throughout the life, the experience, the enviroment and the relation with the people. It doesn´t born with us, or doesn´t be programmed in our DNA. the sense of morality is personal and it can´t be judged or condemned if it doesn´t damage to other people or you know the consequences. So I can´t judged the actions of Dean or any other people in the book, they made his lives like they wanted, they had a good life, all they knew about his friends, his lives, his girls, her boys, his babies. they had many problems but it is good too because the life is not perfect and now they have a good story to tell us.
Discuss the relationship between men and women in the novel. Are Sal and Dean justified in the ways they treat women.
ReplyDeleteTotal dispersion is the first thing after I finished reading On the road, the duo formed by Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise living at a frenetic pace. A constant back and forth along the United States, covering the ends of most popular New York to San Francisco. The lives of these interesting characters revolve around many pleasures and to live intensely, including drugs, alcohol, jazz, traveling, even without a single dollar, and so much love and fleeting.
The way of being and anxieties especially Dean, who in this story is who is more admired and venerated, the friends you want and the women they love, but in my view, is a man and a dreamer and selfish that for him life is a game.
The only loyalty is On the road to life, the time and nothing else. Women are equally appreciated by both Dean and Sal, maybe the second one created but that does not prevent you from getting carried away by all and without any discrimination.
The vision of Dean Moriarty is refreshing because he sees everything with new eyes, is the kind of man who does not mind leaving their wives with children without concern for their welfare and is increasingly looking for a woman. In the story comes to marry and divorce twice, but also countless lovers. It's a little sad but also funny life, as raised and educated in the streets and maybe that led him to be volatile in certain part insecure but trying to see everything with optimism and escape the problems with drug trips, parties, bars, and women often stolen so easily. Living alone was a dream run behind until filled.
By contrast Sal Paradise although it had a more normal life, quiet but with a little fun in your life, and women also were missing, the women in his life were more important. And finally could find the woman who always was looking for.
As Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, the two roam the country in a quest for self-knowledge and experience. Pure Energy is the excuse for Sal Paradise undertake their journeys but also the reason for ending their adventures.
There are many definitions of moral, and as a society we are used to all of them. In general, we can say that in the base of these definitions there are behaviors that are acceptable and not acceptable by the community. Because of this, there are different types of criteria about this topic. For example, the old definition of moral that was used as follows: When someone wants to get something in return, or use it to get something without giving something in exchange. There also exists the common definition of moral that most people use today which is trying to follow the rules of our society. In the which you cannot act in some ways, for example cheating people. These types of rules are needed to have serious and healthy relationships.
ReplyDeleteUsing the characters Dean and Sal from the book On the Road as a reference of behavior, we can appreciate the behavior we are talking about, in which they search for pleasure in an inappropriate way In different places of the country, they find people who share their way of thinking that is not well seen by the majority of the people in the community because it involves bad behavior such as having sex with people they don't know.
Inside the book we can find behaviors that can also be found in our daily communal lives that guide us to understand the wrong ways of conduct. Examples of this are drugs and alcohol that make people lose credibility and trust from the people around them.
We talk about the consequences this kind of behavior brings such as diseases and pain for close friends and family. They don't realize that with their behavior and actions they are hurting the people that love them.
In fact our society, still keeping traditional moral rules, and we are not ready for new changes that are coming with the new generations who are changing their minds trying to impose it, but oldest people are fighting for keep the costumes and behaviors.
In the life exists all type of relationship between men and women. Like friendly, girlfriend or boyfriend, pick up, etc. Some people take in serious the relationship with a couple, but another at the moment to only amuse itself. The second relationship is bad see for some people due to its beliefs and forms to see the life, but for others it is a way to pass it well and if the two parts agree with the type of relationship, they don’t be complicate the life. In this book exists many types of relationships between men and women, but the one that emphasizes is the pick up. Only sex for amuse.
ReplyDeleteIn this book emphasize two characters, Salt and Dean, that they have many adventures in their trips around their country. Dean has married several times with different women and has had children in different women too, but he hasn’t become responsible for any family. In his trips he knows many women that he has only sex and others women with whom he lives together for a time and he has children with them, he divorces of the one for to marry with another one.
Sal is a little tranquil in his relationship with the women. He had a relationship with a Mexican woman. Sal lives together with this woman for several months, but they didn’t have children. Sal didn’t have many pick ups like Dean. At the book’s end Sal meet with other girl with who he falls in love and apparently she is the woman that he always has been looking for.
The relationships between women and men can be bad or good, everything depends on the point of view and the form to think of the people. Perhaps it does not exist bad if the two people agree in the type of relationship that they have, but at the moment that exist a child the things changes and it worse if they continue having children in different people without taking responsibility of them. By the arguments of the novel the Dean’s treat with the women is not very good.
The morality is a set of standards that are transmitted generation by generation, that evolve with the pass of the time and have strong differences with regard to the rules of another society and another historical epoch. These rules are used to guide the conduct of members of the society.
ReplyDeleteWearing shorts some centuries ago, was a inmoral act, but now it is a normal act, and nobody is considered inmoral for that. In the same way, in Ecuador and all of the Western countries women have discovered the face. It´s normal, and it isn´t inmoral. In Eastern countries because of their religion, it´s terrible for women, and they are considered like inmoral people, if they don´t cover their face.
Characters in the novel are people who like the adventure and want to know new and different experiences and places. By that years, I´m talking about the middle of last century, when the novel is narrated, they lived in a epoch that their behavior had to have been reproached. Is very important to keep in mind, that hippie movement wasn´t born by that years, so it means that their behavior wasn´t normal for most of the people in the society. I don´t mean that with hippie movement this kind of attitude was accepted, by may be with this movement, it´s more accepted or justified to have free sex or to use drugs, like Dean or Sal did frequently in the novel, because of their philosophical base.
Despite the history develops in the Unitad State of America, and It have always been more develop that another countries of South America, because of the epoch, the characters were very inmoral. There are people in developed countries that practice this life actually, but the time is different and it´s more accepted, so less inmoral less immoral based on the idea that morality depends on acceptance of your behavior in a society.
Morality exists, but people can take of this whatever they want, feel and think that is better for their, because always this concept will change, and something that now is bad, after some time will be normal or moral. Morality have to be based on respect on the society but it doesn´t mean that in order to be a moral person you have to do things only because the society says it. The characters didn´t practice the standards, and when they did harm to someone, it was pitiful, but if they only lived their life, for me is a normal behavior.
Discuss the relationship between men and women in the novel. Are Sal and Dean justified in the ways they treat women?
ReplyDeleteIn the novel the men and the women have a relation of libertinism, as if there was no another thing that to be in sprees the whole day. Each one has his own version of how it is the world.
In that epoch it seems that the life was easy, but actually on having looked well at every chapter the prominent figures ran up with situations in which they did not have money and had that to manage to have something in his pockets, Or in an easiest way that was hitchhike. The way that the novel describe the personages looks like they has twenty’s or thirty’s years old, so they can made that they want to do. It seemed as if studying is alone for those who are or do not have amusement. Sal and Dean are not a model to continuing, think that the women are like the clothes, one for every day.
Sal is left to guide for the bad advices that there gives him his friend Dean, Which meets that it is not very sane, that tries to live through the life it seize that it could but it does not realize that it is affecting those who him make a detour. Sal For your part it tries to go out forward in his career but always this one Dean to turn it aside from his course and to take it to the amusement of the bars and the limes of the whole country.
The Dean's way of treating the women might say that it is not good, since it has had two wives and four daughters, and still it despairs for the first wife (Marylou), his attitude belongs like to rebel, to whom it does not import the rest, alone he. Dean seems to be a man without scruples, it does his own(proper) rules, does not matter against whom it faces always he must have the reason. Initially about the novel he speaks to us on the precedents or the Dean's past, for such a motive there can not be waited much of him.
To travel all over the country gathering strangers and visiting places or cities that do not know do of the novel an interesting reading and to them a few heroes for some readers, have his own rules and nothing is more important than the friendship than men and women guard. So the relation man-to-man and women in this epoch that the novel describes it makes see this one epoch as mas lance-thrust or revolutionary. So the relation that exists is more friendship and love at the same time, a type as friends with rights. So anyhow the existing relation man-to-man and women of the novel it is almost similar to what this being lived nowadays.
re Sal and Dean justified in the ways they treat women?
ReplyDeleteIn the novel “On the road” the relationship between men and women is just a way to pass and enjoy the moment, both use each other.
The way how they travel with just a little bit money makes they do or say things only for some interest but there is women that behave the same way and also join and travel with Sal, Dean and the others characters. So there is like a game of feelings that sometimes could be good or bad.
The way how men and women are treated when they are traveling on the road it is very informal because a traveler always have to comeback home, so that is why the relationship get complicated and also when they are traveling and stop in some place just wanted to make love with the first girl they saw at the bar only to have fun and a spend a pleasure moment.
In the novel there is not only men that use women also women character in this novel are very liberal and just try to live the moment.
I think that when a women decides to travel on the road alone should be sure that will pass a lot of difficult and dangerous adventures so also has to do things that she do not want but for money finally does. But “On the road” there is some women that do not care and use men as they do.
In “On the road” is such a big game of feelings between men and women because even they are just traveling and spending time trying to get they destiny to the west they also find love and good memories but a big deceptions too.
Inside the novel you can see how is the life on the road and the way like men treat women without any respect like the example of Dean , been father he has affairs every time and everywhere and doesn´t care about they family so he does not respect anything.
Most of the time they act by the effect of drugs or alcohol. But there is also another reason that men do not treat women with respect and it is because they even though respect her self enough.
Jack Kerouac
ReplyDeleteThis book about lots of adventure and crazy things, its about two good friends, it started with a boy who don’t really know what he wants for his life, he grew up in a jail kids because his parents never take care about him, his name its Salt. He was a teenager when he got married with a girl called Marylou, they arrived to New York for first time and they stayed there for a while. When Salt met Dean they each other became friends and since that moment their big adventures started to take place. They started to travel and had lot of fun, they loved to met girls and enjoyed them, and they liked to live their life day a day. That’s why they never got worry about their future or about what they can do for them self in a future.
Ones of the things that made them became good friends was that they both wanted to travel across United States of America, and have fun in every single place they went, they were young’s and without responsibilities so they were able to do what they want, and look for a way to get money like to drive cars and also take advantage going free to the next place to have more and more fun.
When they both started to travel everything was crazy and cool, probably they were living the best moments in their life’s, drinking a lot, having fun any where and any time, and the best for them was spend time with girls, but Deans specialty was to lie and play with girls after to left them us they were used just like and object.
They were young’s and they weren’t worry to have a job, or don’t have enough money for live, they were accustom to live their lives day a day without preoccupations. That’s what was important for them to enjoyed everything lives bring for them, but these magician style of life has to over one day and until it arrives they’ll know they had lost all their youth in bars and girls and then just in that moment they are going to think they don’t have nothing to offer no one.
They have had a really exacting live, travelling around United States, meeting some beautiful girls and living how ever they can, they have try all kind of ways to live and love, but what about the other people who have been around them. Do they think that is just for all that people deserve to be used or lied for them, probably it wasn’t their intention but now they had hurt more people than they can imagine. Its no fear for no one but never its late to repent from your past and try to have a normal live, sheering with people who really loves you.
By: Indira Espín