P2 Chp. 3 & 4 Reaction

        It’s been almost two months since the last reaction, but if there’s one thing I haven’t forgotten about the book, it is Sal’s obsession with Dean, a relationship again outlined in this week’s reading. From the start of Chp. 3 of Part 2, it’s obvious that Dean is similar to the leader of the wolf pack; he catalyzes all the activity in the group and gives the orders. In fact, even though he and his gang, including Sal, traveled to Sal’s house, Dean was the one sleeping in Sal’s bed, leading Sal around his own house and inviting all the other group members over. I also found it extremely telling how, during their car ride to Virginia, all Dean would talk about was his own life and how changed he is. Yet the most interesting aspect of this situation was that Sal enjoyed listening; instead of feeling ignored, Sal seemed even more fascinated with Dean and his turn towards mysticism. In my opinion, this is all the more representative of why Sal is infatuated with Dean; no matter how impulsive and crazy Sal expects Dean to be, Dean always manages to surpass those expectations completely with even more surprises.
        Another thing that I thought stood out during this week’s reading was the way Sal’s family and friends reacted to his new behavior. During the police incident, Sal’s aunt even supposes that Sal’s friendship with Dean means Sal has something to be ashamed of, suggesting that she does not view Dean to be a good influence. Yet the fact that Sal and Dean ‘accepted this sadly’ just further outlines Sal’s changed attitude; he doesn’t even care that others think Dean is the reason for his bad behavior. This is further reinforced by Lucille’s displeased when she finally meets Dean and Marylou; Sal just reacts by saying that everything is only for ‘kicks’ and the whole point is to have a good time.
        Aside from the characters’ interactions, I liked the piano scene at the end of Chp. 4. Shearing’s scene is the first in-depth bit of musical concert mentioned from the Beat generation, and I thought it portrayed the incredible passion and excitement very well. I’m quite curious and looking forward to reading what the closing lines of the chapter, in which Sal mentions that he felt like ‘everything is decided forever’, mean.