Reaction to chapters 11-12

In this section of the book, Kerouac finally introduces background information and a back-story for one of Sal’s friends. Remi Boncoeur is the first of Sal’s friends that I actually like. I find it interesting that Kerouac chose the last name “Boncoeur” for this character because it translates in English to “good heart”. Thus far, I have found him to be a good-natured fellow. Although perhaps at times he is immoral, when he steals for example, he is truly a nice guy and he has really helped out Sal by giving him a home. Furthermore, Remi seems to take genuine interest in Sal. He often compliments him calling him the “funniest guy alive,” and because Kerouac notes that Remi and Sal go way back to college, it adds to the nature of their relationship, establishing a sort of loyalty that I just did not see or feel with Dean. Also, Remi and Sal, in a way, become a team. They help each other out, and unlike what it would be like with a friend like Dean, one of them is not taking advantage of the other. What does bother me is that Sal went and ruined his relationship with this character that I thought was a true friend, something that is incredibly scarce and hard to find, especially for Sal.

            Subsequently, I feel like in this chapter I saw some true emotion for the first time emerging from Sal. Throughout the story thus far, maybe he’s shown bits and pieces of what he feels but Kerouac made the story so monotone that it made Sal seem indifferent towards everything, almost to an inhuman and robotic point. What I saw in this chapter was fear from Sal. For what seemed to me to be the first time, Sal was watching out for himself instead of doing things according to those around him. This action backs up my previous idea that Sal is changing as a character. I’m not exactly sure how it is that he is changing, or what the cause of this change is, but I know that as a character Sal is changing.

            One detail I found to be quite interesting as well in this chapter is that Sal spoke directly to the reader for the first time. He stated, “The reason I’m going into everything that happened in San Fran is because it ties up with everything else all the way down the line.” I wonder what Sal means by this, and how the rest of the story will play out, considering the fact that the narrator has been brought into the story.