On the Road (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Jack Kerouac
- First Published: 1957
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Autobiographical
- Time of Work: 1947-1950
- Setting: United States
- Principal Characters: Sal Paradise, Dean Moriarity, Carlo Marx, Old Bull Lee, Ed Dunkel, Galeta Dunkel, Remi Boncoeur, Marylou, Camille, Inez
- Genres: Long fiction, Autobiographical fiction, Picaresque fiction
- Subjects: Self-discovery, United States or Americans, Traveling or travelers, Love or romance, 1940’s, Roads, streets, or highways, Drugs, Adventure
- Locales: United States, Mexico
The Story:
Sal Paradise was living at his aunt’s house in New Jersey while working on his first novel. His “life on the road” began when he read letters written from reform school by Dean Moriarity. When Dean arrived in New York with his new wife Marylou, Sal was impressed with the younger man’s enthusiasm and was flattered by Dean’s desire to learn to write. He recognized that Dean was a con man who was probably conning him as well, but he enjoyed his company. Sal was sorry when Dean met Carlo Marx, a poet with a “dark mind,” for he could not keep up with Dean...
[The entire page is 2008 words long]
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