4-5

#4

As Dean’s behavior becomes increasingly risky and potentially harmful to himself or others, I wonder if Sal’s infatuation with Dean will become dangerous to himself, or maybe the group of friends they’re always around. Dean is always in a good light when described by Sal, but the reader’s dependence on Sal’s perspective may be hiding the fact that Dean is a “bad influence” on people he is around. Needless to say, he is one of the most fascinating characters in the book, and I hope to see him around for a majority of the novel. The relationship between Sal and Dean is unique. Out of all the people encountered, they are the two that seem to be closest. This strikes me as a surprise, considering Sal’s more introverted nature next to Dean. The at times paradoxical relationship of Dean and Sal seems to be one of duality. While Dean carries his energetic recklessness with him, Sal tends to rely on a more withdrawn nature.

#5

When I realized that On the Road is a completely autobiographical writing, I didn’t expect for metaphor or planned meaning to show in the text. I knew there would be meaning, but wasn’t at first looking for anything cryptic (for example, Holden’s hunting hat in Catcher in the Rye). However, after examining the concept of the road within the story, it became evident that the road (to me at least) has come to represent a kind of freedom without anxiety. Many philosophers write of the anxiety described as a deep turmoil in the free human being. I myself commonly experience a similar kind of anxiety, build on the unknowingness of what the next day will bring. I assume Sal is lifted of this burden when he is on the road, as he is simply going to go, not having his eyes set on any particular destination (in life) and therefore has not to worry about anything beyond his immediate setting, which is close friends and excitement. This is an admirable path that one day I hope to be able to follow.