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On The Road American Dream

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Born in the 1920s, Jack Kerouac has grown through a time in which was a diverging age, yet has endured anxieties of what America should represent. The American Dream playing a role in this period, was the ideal life in which consolidation and cultural hegemony were sought at the expense of individualism and spiritualism. Yet, these ambitions still left Americans with lingering anxieties, thus being the reason why Kerouac had taken up a new philosophy; the Beat Generation. Known for advocating purification and illumination through sensory awareness, factors including drug use, alcohol, sex, and other illegal acts all take part of this new movement. Because of society’s longing for the American Dream had become a social fad, Kerouac published …show more content…

Through this, it can be noticed that Kerouac wanted the wandering mind to be able to do as pleased through simplicity. The characters, Sal and Dean both wanted nothing more than to be able to explore what the world had to offer, even if it meant waiting endless hours for a ride from strangers. Hitchhiking was the less dangerous, legal way for the characters to travel, yet this did not always satisfy them. Kerouac also wanted to show that while most Americans would choose hitchhiking over illegal acts, Sal and Dean accepted that they would most likely never follow the “typical American” guidelines. Stealing cars was another preferred form of transportation for it was “a wild yea-saying overburst of American joy…(he only stole cars for the joy rides)” (Kerouac 21). With this, Kerouac proceeds to relate this unlawful act to Americanism, or at least his view of it. Part of the American dream was to fulfill an almost flawless lifestyle and represent the good doings of American, but Kerouac was tired of this and quite frankly, did not believe that was the way to life. Through the actions of his characters, he wanted to create a new message and replace the fakeness of the American Dream. Not everyone is perfect, and neither is America. So why should one pretend it is? Not only were hitchhiking and illegal car stealing part of this new Beat Generation, drugs and alcohol also played effect and are present in Kerouac’s

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