Sunday, September 15, 2013

Week 4 Reaction 7-8

            The next two chapters in On the Road are completely action packed.  This is a complete turnaround from the slow and quiet moments in the apartment from the last two chapters.  Sal finally meets up with Dean and Carlo, and the three start their endless party in Denver.  I noticed that Sal doesn't seem to be fully engaged with Dean and Carlo.  Even though he says to the reader that they are all good friends, he doesn't actively engage or contribute to the strange conversations that Carlo and Max have.  Plus I don’t understand how Sal puts up with the stupid conversations; they are nonsensical fragments that amount to nothing.  I find it frustrating to read an entire conversation between two characters and not understand anything they said.  We learn more about Dean and his complicated love life.  Dean’s craziness and inability to focus on one thing makes him seem as if he is on drugs throughout the entire two chapters.  Another interesting thing about Sal is his constant mentioning of not having a girlfriend.  Throughout the entire book he has mentioned occasionally that he doesn't have a girlfriend, yet lots of his friends do.  I think his journey is not only about seeing America while having a great time, but to find an awesome person to share his experiences with besides Dean, Carlo, and the gang.  Hopefully for his sake he accomplishes his goal.     

1 comment:

  1. I also found Sal's general withdrawal when hanging out with Dean and Carlo perplexing! The conversations honestly seem really pointless. My only guess would be that Dean and Carlo are recounting all their experiences in an attempt to become more in touch with themselves or for some other lofty,existential reason. I think maybe Dean's wild sex life stems from his already wild personality and maybe drugs also have a part in it , although it is too early in the book to tell.

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