Inspiration

The characters in this book are truly inspiring. They live in the present with no worries and take everything day by day. These are characteristics that i feel our generation unfortunately lacks. It is sad that our generation no longer takes risks like the characters in the book do because the fear of not knowing what is going to happen stops us. The irresponsibility and spontaneouty of not having a plan is what stops us from taking chances. This book makes me want to pack up and take a road trip. Every time i read i think "maybe my parents will let me when i am done with school or when i am older" but i remember i have to deal with school, water polo, or family. these would not allow me to make the trip but these are exactly the thoughts that the characters never had. They wanted something and went out to do it without thinking of the consequences. I admire them.

-Cati Sesana

Unrest

Unrest in America, unrest in a generation. Sal symbolizes these things. He is restless, he is full of energy and seeks other sources of energy. New York, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are all centers of energy. Dean, Carlo, Remi and Terry all possess the same unrest. All of these people are drawn together through a mutual recognition of energy. The problem with this generation, with these people and with this movement is that there is no direction for them to go in. Without direction, they just go. Unlike the generations before them that had been caught up in war and building America, this generation possesses the energy to move, to be and to desire. This "On The Road" mentality would translate into a revolutionary energy in the next generation, an energy that would cause turmoil in America and an era defined by the Civil Rights Movement. 
-Zack Meier

Going Places

Reading this book has definitely inspired me to hit the road at one point in my life. Some of the places that were traveled really called my attention. Here are some of the places Sal and his friends visited:

Bear Mountain Bridge in New York

In “On the Road”, they cross the Bear Mountain which is in New York. It connects Rockland and Westchester across the Hudson River. It was once considered the longest suspension bridge.

Omaha, Nebraska

One of the places mentioned in the book is Omaha. It is described as having lots of cowboys, cowboy boots, and ten-gallon hats. If you are interested in getting a taste of what Sal experienced while at Omaha, you can click on this link, which will show you recreations of bank robberies, train robberies, and cowboy characters. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zSK0qykyG_8&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Chicago, Illinois

Another big stop in the book is Chicago. Jazz was extremely popular at the time in this city. The characters in the book experienced this type of music when they arrived. Kerouac would be impressed if he saw this link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WakEtksj060&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Jack Kerouac Reading "On The Road"

Cool sound clip of Jack Kerouac reading his own book, "On The Road". He brings some spirit to it in the reading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MjPtem6ZbE

-Zack Meier

Living in the Present

As Sal travels the country and progresses in his journey, it becomes more apparent that there is no plan and no future in Sal's mind. This becomes clear as he arrives in Sabinal with Terry. He accompanies Terry to her home in Sabinal in order to meet up with her family and to find work. At every failed attempt of finding work or progression the word "mañana" is uttered. The word serves to diffuse responsibility to the next day, to the future. The future that never comes. Sal lives in the present and "mañana" is what keeps him there. If he ever has any responsibility or any problem he can always fix it "mañana". Sal Paradise is always living in the present. Paradise is always one day away....
-Zack Meier

First Chapters of On the Road

Not much is said about why the narrator wants to go out West and live "on the road". The fact that he leaves everything he has to go out to the West with just $50 in his pocket says a lot about his character; he is a daring, care free individual who has the will to survive and hunger for adventure. The narrator spent almost half of his money on a bus from Newburgh to Chicago, which was not the smartest decision, since he had just begun what would be a long trajectory. His actions led me to assume that he is the type of person that struggles to begin with something, but once he has begun, everything becomes easier. Also the fact that he asked for rides shows that he is a humble person who is not always caring about what people think of his social status.
-Ali M.

The Writing Style of Jack Kerouac

Kerouac's writing style was heavily influenced by the cultural changes of the time, especially the rise of Jazz music and the Bebop genre. Along with cultural influences, Kerouac used his own Buddhist studies to mold his writing style.
Jack refered to his writing style as "spontaneous prose" because he would write continuously without edits.  He enjoyed writing autobiographical novels, so his writing style fit perfectly with the stories he told because his experiences could flow out onto the pages of the novel without edits.
He showed that his writing style could produce a novel with rhythm, much like the music that influenced him.  By improvising words and trying to eliminate the period, he created a writing style all is own to go with the rythm of the Beat generation.

He wrote "On The Road" on a 120 foot manuscript using his writing technique of "spontaneous prose"

-Zack Meier