Home > On the Road Summary & Study Guide > Essays and Criticism > Jack Kerouac's On the Road: A Re-evaluation
On the Road | Jack Kerouac's On the Road: A Re-evaluation
In the following excerpt, Vopat defends Kerouac against critics who deem him unworthy of consideration as an important American writer.
Nothing has been published about Jack Kerouac for seven years. Most of what has been written is either hostile or condescending or both. While it may perhaps be true, as Melvin W. Askew suggests, that to speak of Jack Kerouac in the same breath with Melville, Twain and Hawthorne is to leave a smirch on the configuration of classic American literature, Kerouac has, as they have, provided an enduring portrait of the national psyche; like Fitzgerald, he has defined America and delineated American life for his generation. Certainly, Kerouac is not a great writer, but he is a good writer, and...
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- On the Road: Introduction
- On the Road: Summary
- On the Road: Overview
- On the Road: Jack Kerouac Biography
-
On the Road: Summary and Analysis
- Part One, Chapters 1–2: Summary and Analysis
- Part One, Chapters 3-5: Summary and Analysis
- Part One, Chapters 6-8: Summary and Analysis
- Part One, Chapters 9-10: Summary and Analysis
- Part One, Chapters 11-12: Summary and Analysis
- Part One, Chapters 13-14: Summary and Analysis
- Part Two, Chapters 1-3: Summary and Analysis
- Part Two, Chapters 4-6: Summary and Analysis
- Part Two, Chapters 7-9: Summary and Analysis
- Part Three: Chapters 6 – 8: Summary and Analysis
- Part Three: Chapters 1 – 3: Summary and Analysis
- Part Three: Chapters 4 – 5: Summary and Analysis
- Part Three, Chapters 6-8: Summary and Analysis
- Part Three, Chapters 9-11: Summary and Analysis
- Part Four, Chapters 1-3: Summary and Analysis
- Part Four, Chapters 4-6: Summary and Analysis
- Part Four/Five, Chapter Six & Conclusion: Summary and Analysis
-
On the Road: Quizzes
- Part One, Chapters 1-2: Questions and Answers
- Part One, Chapters 3-5: Questions and Answers
- Part One, Chapters 6-8: Questions and Answers
- Part One, Chapters 9-10: Questions and Answers
- Part One, Chapters 11-12: Questions and Answers
- Part One, Chapters 13-14: Questions and Answers
- Part Two, Chapters 1-3: Questions and Answers
- Part Two, Chapters 4-6: Questions and Answers
- Part Two, Chapters 7-9: Questions and Answers
- Part Three: Chapters 6 – 8 Questions and Answers
- Part Three: Chapters 1 – 3: Questions and Answers
- Part Three, Chapters 4-5: Questions and Answers
- Part Three, Chapters 6-8: Questions and Answers
- Part Three, Chapters 9-11: Questions and Answers
- Part Four, Chapters 1-3: Questions and Answers
- Part Four, Chapters 4-6: Questions and Answers
- Part Four/Five, Chapter Six & Conclusion: Questions and Answers
- On the Road: Themes
- On the Road: Style
- On the Road: Historical Context
- On the Road: Critical Overview
- On the Road: Character Analysis
- On the Road: Essays and Criticism
- On the Road: Suggested Essay Topics
- On the Road: Sample Essay Outlines
- On the Road: Compare and Contrast
- On the Road: Topics for Further Study
- On the Road: Media Adaptations
- On the Road: What Do I Read Next?
- On the Road: Bibliography and Further Reading
- On the Road: Pictures
- Copyright
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