Ciara's Reaction to On the Road

Sal, Dean, and Marylou begin their cross country journey in this next segment of the book, and I find that the book is getting quite repetitive. When I first started reading the book and Sal went out on the road, I figured that going "on the road" was a one time adventure of finding oneself, but I was wrong. This is at least the third time Sal has embarked "on the road", and only now is he starting to get a little tired of the stressful, uncertain lifestyle. 

Throughout the book, it is evident that Sal hopes to eventually find a girl with whom he can one day settle down with. He almost found this in Terry, but she did not end up being "the one". I think one of the main reasons Sal was so willing to head out all the way to San Francisco was because of Marylou's promise to be his girl when they got there. I find it strange that Dean is the person in life that Sal most reveres, yet Dal is planning on getting with Dean's girlfriend. However, in the beginning of chapter 10, I understood why. Sal knows Dean sees Marylou as disposable because he has Camille, and he knows that as soon as they get to Frisco, he will dump Marylou, at which point he will be able to snatch her up.  What I don't think he anticipated was that Dean would dump him as well. 

From the beginning of the novel, it is heavily implied that Dean cares only for himself and his own interests, and Sal does know this. However, because Sal adores Dean and loves nothing more than to just revel in his presence, I think Sal forgot where he stood with Dean. He should not have been surprised when Dean left him and Marylou in Frisco to go and find Camille, yet he was anyway. 

I hope this experience is enough to give Sal a wake up call. We all know that person who is very self-absorbed and outwardly cares only about him/herself. Some of us, including me, have friends like this. The only way to become friends with someone like that is to accept that fact that this person is the way they are, and that they will not change. Sal has accepted this fact, but I hope this de strengthens Sal's undying devotion for Dean because it leaves Sal a fool. Sal would be willing to do anything for Dean, but I do not think Dean would do even the slightest thing for Sal of it did not involve something of benefit for Dean. I want Sal to see this, and hopefully develop some more self worth. He sees so much greatness and vitality in Dean, but I think he needs to work on seeing it in himself.