Impact of Dean on Sals Identity in Jack Kerouac’s On The Road Essay

The Impact of Dean on Sals IdentityinOn the Road On The Road begins with the protagonist, Sal, (representative of author squatting Kerouac), being overwhelmed by feelings of confusion and uncertainty regarding his personal identity. He then meets Dean Moriarty, an eccentric character who rejects societal values and norms. Sal is absorbed with and entranced by Dean, perceiving him as almost superhuman, and decides to comply him across the country. A passive character, Sal soon becomes dependent on Dean, mimicking his friend rather than discovering his personal identity. It is likely that such(prenominal) behaviour was greatly influenced by events that occurred in Jack Kerouacs childhood . Eventually, Sal realises that if he is to be independent, he must no longer blindly follow others, but discover himself. Sal is presented at first as a passive character, someone who has shaped his identity by depending on others to influence him. His morals and val... ...n what he has discovered about himself. Sal set out to experience the world. What he ended up finding, was himself (Honan 1987ix). Bibliography Charters, Ann. 1973. Kerouac A Biography, Warner Communications Company, young York. Honan, Simon, 1987. The Beat Generation, Allen and Unwin Publishing, New York. Kerouac, Jack. 1976. On the Road. Penguin, New York. Tytell, John. 1976. Naked Angels the Lives and Literature of the Beat Generation. McGraw-Hill, New York.