final paper pt 3

            In Notes from the Underground, the Underground Man makes references to the idea that humans feel the need to be validated.  People will do whatever it takes to be validated whether it is by demanding attention, bragging about oneself, or picking fights with everyone, they are all intended to bring upon the same goal.  The Underground Man feels compelled to validate himself when he has the multiple confrontations with the officer.  “ I was standing by the billiard-table and in my ignorance blocking up the way, and he wanted to pass; he took me by the shoulders and without a word-without a warning or explanation-moved me from where I was standing to another spot and passed by as though he had not noticed me.  I could have forgiven blows, but I could not forgive his having moved me without noticing me.” (34.1-6).  This anger he feels is towards the fact his existence hadn’t been validated.  He was treated like he didn’t even exist, denying validity to his presence in the world.  His anger is expressed in the next line, “Devil knows what I would have given for a real regular quarrel-a more decent, a more literary one…” (34.7-8).

 Sal has a similar struggle within his plotline in On the Road, although his validity crisis is less about being angry and more about living his life to the fullest.  In the beginning of the novel, Sal remarks about his old life in New York City with his ex-wife was so horrible, it wasn’t even worth mentioning to the reader.  He had felt dead inside, and needed to escape from that lifestyle and try something new.  His friends seemed dull and boring, and the thought of his wife and their apartment bogged him down every day.  These feelings stem from the fact that he was not validated.  Nobody cared about what he thought or felt, it seems as though his wife saw him as a means to money and not much else.  By simply viewing Sal as an object in her way, she was treating him very similarly to the way the officer saw the Underground Man.  Sal needing to validate himself and live his life, teamed up with a man who actually appreciated Sal’s smarts and enjoyed his presence.  Dean fills that void in his life, and makes Sal feel alive and actually happy for the first time in years.  People who are different and exciting make life interesting and more fulfilling.  Sal’s view of Dean is definitely positive, as it is evident in this quote, “My first impression of Dean was of a young Gene Autry-trim, thin-hipped, Blue-eyed, with a real Oklahoma accent-a sideburned hero of the snowy West.” (2.25-28).  Dean reinvigorates Sal’s life, and validates his existence by including him on a great journey around the country.