Thesis:
On the Road is told from a phallocentric point of view, leaving
the women to be portrayed solely as objects of disposable pleasure and
entertainment. This objectification of women is only further reinforced by the
hedonistic approach on life encapsulated by the beatnik generation. This
inferior treatment can be analyzed in the characters of Camille, Marylou,
Terry, and Walter’s Wife.
Outline:
1. Objectification of Camille by Dean and the beats
A.
Objectification of Camille by Dean through cheating
a)
“It was horrible to hear Camille sobbing. We couldn’t stand it and went out to buy beer.
b)
“Go right ahead she does that all the time”(Camille crying)
c)
[Beverly and I] are going to get married as soon as I can get
divorce papers from Camille”
B.
Objectification of Camille by Sal
a)
“Camille was a relief after Marylou; a well-bred polite young
woman”
b)
“I had no idea what was wrong except perhaps Dean had driven her
mad after all”
c)
“He didn’t leave her, she kicked him out”4
2.Objectification of Marylou by Dean, Sal, and the rest of the
beats
A.
Objectification of Marylou by Dean through cheating
a)
“at one sharp he rushes from Marylou to Camille- of course
neither one of them knows what’s going on”
b)
“He’s going to…get the necessary papers for their divorce. Marylou’s all for it, but she insists on
banging in the interim.
c)
“he wanted me to work out with
Marylou. I didn’t ask him why because I knew he wanted to see what Marylou was
like with another man”
B.
Dean through his values
a)
“He wanted absolute proof that she was a whore”
b)
“For to him sex was the one and only holy and important thing in
life”
c)
decided
the thing to do was to have Marylou make breakfast and sweep the floor
C.
Objectification of Marylou by Sal
a)
Marylou was a pretty blonde with immense ringlets of hair like a
sea of golden tresses
b)
“Outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb”
c)
“Marylou had not slept since Denver. I thught she looked older and more beautiful
now”
3. Objectification of Terry by Sal and her family
A.
Sal’s description of Terry
a)
“breasts stuck out straight and true”
b)
“her little flanks looked delicious”
c)
“her hair was long and lustrous black”
B.
Sal’s First Thoughts of Terry
a)
she’s a “common little hustler”
b)
“I got mad and realized I was pleading with a dumb little
Mexican wench and I told her so”
c)
“Before I knew it I picked up her red pumps and hurled them at
the bathroom door and told her to get out”
C.
Terry’s Family’s Thoughts about Her
a)
“They called her a whore because she left her husband”
b)
“The old man growled. The brothers kept right on yodeling. The mother
was silent.”
4.
Objectification of Walter's Wife by Sal, Dean, and Walter
A.
“Sweetest
Woman in the World…She never asked Walter where he’d been, what time it was,
nothing”- Sal
B.
“Walter’s
wife smiled and smiled as we repeated the insane thing all over again. She
never said a word”
C. Dean said, “Now you see, man,
there’s real woman for you. Never a harsh word, never a complaint, or modified;
her old man can come in any hour of the night with anybody and have talks in
the kitchen and drink the beer and leave any old time.”
D. “This is a man, and that’s his
castle.”- Walter trains her to be subservient
E.
Present
a good woman as a woman with no self-respect
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