On the Road, Jack Kerouac. Cycle 23 Reading Response, pages 1-35

This story starts with the protagonist talking about one of the guys in his group of friends in New York, Dean Moriarty. His life in New York was filled with his friends, either intellectuals or criminals, who made life exciting by spontaneously traveling across the country. In July 1947, the protagonist, which, since this is for the most part autobiographical, is the author, Jack Kerouac but is referred to as Sal, decides to go to the West Coast. He heads west as a bus rider and as a hitchhiker. He ends up in Denver, where all of his friends are.

jalopy: "...his parents were passing through Salt Lake City in 1926, in a jalopy, on their way to Los Angeles." (p. 1) noun, an old and dilapidated car
dichotomy: " '...but the thing that I want is the realization of those factors that should one depend on Schopenhauer's dichotomy for any inwardly realized...' " (p. 3) noun, a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different
phosphorescent: "As we rode in the bus in the weird phosphorescent void of the Lincoln Tunnel..." (p. 4) adj, having the quality of light emitted by a substance without combustion or perceptible heat
lout: "Their energies met head-on, and I was a lout compared..." (p. 5) noun, an uncouth or aggressive man or boy
benzedrine: "....Jane wandering on Times Square in a benzedrine hallucination..." (p. 5) noun, a type of hallucinogentic drug
bevies: "There were the most beautiful bevies of girls everywhere I looked..." (p. 15) noun, large groups of people or things of a particular kind
alackaday: "Well, alackaday, I kissed the shirt good-by..." (p. 21) exclamation, an expression of regret or dismay
sardonic: "Montana Slim spoke to them occasionally with a sardonic and insinuating smile." (p. 23) adj, grimly mocking or cynical
rawboned: "In my earlier days Id been to sea with a tall rawboned fellow from Louisiana..." (p. 26) adj, having a bony or gaunt physique
tarpaulin: "...the best thing to do now was for all of us to bundle up under the big tarpaulin or we'd freeze." (p. 29) noun, a heavy-duty waterproof cloth

Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road" is a partially autobiographical story of trips that he took in his youth. In the novel, Sal Paradise is Jack Kerouac. He is living in New York and writing. Language is intertwined in the story. At its center is the desire to experience more. Sal said that his friendship with Dean Moriarty was giving him experiences he can write about. The way he talks about his friends, especially Dean, it seems like he is unsure about who he is and who he wants to be. His language that describes Dean is admiring and more specific than that of an acquaintance would be. It shows his admiration of Dean, which affects the things he does and who he is. On the road to Denver, he hears people speak from all over the country. Their different accents and words capture their hometown and show who they are. For example, a hobo and the youth that travels with him are basically the same in appearance, but contrast in their language. The hobo is eager to converse with Sal and share stories of the road, while the younger hobo is reluctant to talk to anyone. The language used to describe and used by the characters help to differentiate them from others and provide them with their own identity. On the road, I think that Sal will grow and discover more about himself through his experiences. The question is, how will he convey it in the language of his writing?