Part II

        The great Dean Moriarty is back and he no sooner arrives in New York does he want to leave again and take Sal with him, but Sal is hesitant. He has reverted to his old way of life in the hopes to settle and with a woman. Even though he says this is what he wants, he feels that no woman could ever or would ever want him because he has nothing to offer except confusion. His lack of confidence irritates me, only because he seems like a kind, interesting, intellectual; you just have to get to know him first. In this moment of the tale I finally truly identified with Sal. He has low self confidence, wants to be happy and break out of his shell, but needs a nudge from someone to do it. He loves nature, appreciates beauty, and hates change. I don't understand his lack of confidence, but at the same time I know exactly where he is coming from. Dean and Sal have a discussion about a dream Sal had. They decide that they should not speak of death, but only life. This a good attitude to have, especially for Sal, who is usually more the pessimistic type. Though Sal resisted, he wanted to be back on the road with Dean and co. The relationship between Dean and Sal is something to see. They have become so close and trusting of each other, yet they are complete opposites; alter-egos, if you will. Sal's eagerness to be back on the road is often still eclipsed by that recurring sense of sadness and solitude. No one seems to be able to disperse this depression. Even women, who are used like razors (use them regularly until they get dull and then dispose of), don't seem to have any affect on his waning self. More goodbyes are revealed and Sal is not pleased by them, but realizes that they are inevitable. The road is the only place that Sal and Dean, both, really and truly feel at home. Dean with his crazy stunts and Sal with his psychological imperfections are both content on the road because no one gets to know them well enough to judge them. Towards the end, Sal's feeling of imminent death again shows how much Sal is really struggling with spiritual(?) pain. This again highlights how opposite Dean and Sal really are with Dean being impulsive and not thinking everything through and then Sal who over thinks everything. I hope to see Sal become happy or at least not sad and depressed anymore.