644 Kerouac, Jack
success. In the 19th century it became associated
with immigrants coming to America, looking for
“the land of opportunity” and its “streets paved with
gold.” (This is still a common image of the United
States.) But in the aftermath of World War II, the
“American dream” took on a new look: the return-
ing soldier, leading a nice, uneventful life with a
submissive wife and the newest and best material
possessions (kitchen appliances, televisions, and
automobiles being some examples of the techno-
logical advances that became “must-haves” for the
suburban life.
However, not all returning soldiers felt this need
for material wealth and success. Some aimed for a
more aesthetic, pleasure-driven lifestyle. Very little
mention is made of Sal Paradise’s military career in
On the Road, but we are told that he was in the war,
in the navy. (Paradise was Jack Kerouac’s alter ego;
Kerouac himself received an honorable discharge for
medical reasons from the U.S. Navy in 1943, after
serving a minimal amount of time.) The attitudes
and experiences described in On the Road are a reac-
tion to the sense of normalcy craved by the middle
classes. Sal and his friends are also searching for
contentment, but in a very different way.
This anti-middle-class stance is manifested most
clearly in the character of Dean Moriarty (based on
Kerouac’s friend Neal Cassady). By having Dean be
the son of a bum, and having him live the life of a
tramp, Kerouac is making a clear statement about
the unimportance of material things. Dean rarely
has his own place to live, his car is the only thing
of value he has ever owned, and he does not seem
to make any concentrated effort to make a living.
Yet he is viewed by Sal as a symbol of freedom and
happiness; Sal aspires to be like Dean, to be thrilled
by life without material concerns. If the American
dream is a quest to find happiness through the
acquisition of material goods, then Neal is the anti-
American dream—happiness through the denial of
materialism.
If this is the case, then it must be noted that as
the novel wears on Sal becomes increasingly disil-
lusioned with Dean’s lifestyle. He begins to see it
as immature, self-centered, and indifferent to the
needs, wants, and comforts of others. It can be read
as Sal maturing, wanting more out of life than what
the road can offer him. It is on the final big trip, to
Mexico, that Sal comes to terms with this dissatis-
faction. On this trip the friends come face to face
with real poverty, meeting people who live without
even the possibility of the material comforts that Sal,
and even Dean, take for granted. Sal realizes that
Dean has made the choice to live the way he does.
So what does this say about the American dream?
Sal and Dean have to leave America to realize what
they have (at least Sal does—left alone in Mexico
by Dean while ill, he gradually turns his back on
the road lifestyle). Their last meeting in New York
City is sad and disjointed; they can no longer under-
stand each other, no longer communicate. Sal has
become more settled, more “acceptable” by society’s
standards, although he has learned a lot from his
time on the road. Dean is still the same, manically
looking for the next thrill, unconcerned with mate-
rial matters. Instead of offering a judgment on this,
Kerouac presents both sides equally, suggesting that
one can learn from both. The “American dream” is,
was, and always will be to some extent unattainable,
as evidenced by the inclusion of the word “dream.”
What Kerouac suggests is that this dream is fluid,
not static, and that everyone can make it work for
themselves, because we all define our own dreams.
Georgina WillmsFreedom in On the Road
In the late 1940s and 1950s Americans were busy
redivising their definition of “freedom.” Years of
depression, war rationing, and austerity had taken
their toll on the populace, and the economic upturn
the country experienced in the early 1950s led to
previously incomprehensible levels of economic
comfort. As often happens, people soon began to
feel “trapped” by their belongings. People spent their
new money on appliances, cars, and fancy homes,
and then found they must work hard to maintain
them. Soon a backlash began against this economic
complacency.
The promise of freedom is an essential part of
the appeal of On the Road. Since its publication,
people have been inspired by the book to take off
on their own trips, leaving their lives and the conse-
quent responsibilities behind. It is, of course, to some
extent a fantasy—your problems will follow you