On the Road by Jack Kerouac Essay Example for Free

On the channel by Jack Kerouac Es allegeNow considered not only a legendary work within the news report of Ameri faecal matter literature, Jack Kerouacs On the Road is also regarded as the pivotal work of an full generation of young Ameri clears looking for purpose and direction in a nation not furthermost removed from world war, and becoming increasingly abstruse and fast paced. In the midst of the sweeping fond changes interpret by means of Kerouacs characters in On the Road, the protagonist of the story, dean Moriarty, stands as an iconic, indistinct figure. In this essay, the dynamics and complexities of Moriartys individual(prenominal)ity, as well as the changes that this personality undergoes as On the Road unfolds leave al whiz be discussed in order to better understand not only Moriarty as a character, but also what he represents. Dean Moriartys Changes Within the P component portion of On the Road The changes that Moriarty goes by means of in Kerouacs tak e hold argon symbolic not only of the general direction of his sustenance itself, but also the society in which he lives, the people with whom he interacts, and what the future holds for everyone, including this character himself.Gaining veritable(a) a fundamental understanding of the character of Moriarty in necessary to make this possible. Dean Moriarty makes a worthy entrance into the piece of On the Road from the very beginning, he captures the interest of the other characters in the book because of his very nature, which is highly animated, yet appealing because of his obvious passion for feel and his interest in surviving every moment to its fullest (Whissen, 1992).At the same metre, showing that he is a constantly changing individual, Moriarty is change from some of the more(prenominal) stuffy people who are friends with other main characters in the story, a catchment basin which none of the main characters make an effort to remedy, setting the stage for Moriarty t o blaze his own path in subsequent sections of the book. Perhaps on of the most significant characteristics of Moriarty, which serves as a catalyst for galore(postnominal) of the changes through which he goes, is the fact that he is very appealing to the opposite sex this sort of romantic focus creates a bit of mystery slightly Moriarty (Swartz, 1999).This charisma also blossoms up a world of possibilities for Moriarty to explore, and presents him with many temptations and challenges that other people may never experience. Whether this charisma with women was something that came ab bulge out just by the way that Moriarty presented himself, or it was something toward which he aspired and took specific steps to ensure that women would find him desirable, this aspect of his personality was the first step in the changes that he undergoes end-to-end the story.First, in regard to Moriartys changes, the fact that he carries on five-fold relationships with women, many at the same time , makes it necessary for Moriarty to constantly travel throughout the nation, truly embodying the on the passage lifestyle which forms the backbone of Kerouacs book. The consequences of these many relationships, and the ensuing complications and commitments that come out of them, create problems for Moriarty that he is hale to confront, and correct to as well.The complexity of these relationships is made even more dramatic by the fact that eventually, Moriarty fathers multiple children with multiple women, making it all but impossible for him to carry on any kind of a conventional life or to remain stationery in one place for any amount of time the ability that most people have to lead an ordinary, day to day existence, is denied Moriarty because of the choices he makes in his personal life until almost the end of the book. A second area of change for Dean Moriarty is seen in his social inter natural processs with friends beyond the level of romantic interludes.Socially, Moriart y also undergoes a prominent deal of change as the plot of the book unfolds. Because of Moriartys alienation from people beyond his immediate circle of close friends, he becomes more withdrawn from the regular social aspects of everyday society and has a sort of sadness and emptiness about him. This emptiness is filled with sordid affairs with women as was discussed earlier, travel, and excesses such as drinking and outlandish behavior, which will be discussed in more detail in a subsequent section of this essay.Moriartys attractive nature in some instances is also important to realize from the view grade of the change that he affects in others, perhaps most significantly in the case of his best friend, Sal Paradise. Because Sal looks up to Dean in basically every area of life as a role model of sorts (Whissen, 1992), he imitates even Deans worst behavioral traits, including the constant traveling. The foolishness of this imitation is made more dramatic by the fact that Sal is ol der than Dean, making the implication that Dean could in fact learn a lot from Sal if the situation were somehow reversed.Finally, a change that Moriarty attempts is as significant as any of the others which he ahs undergone throughout On the Road. Ultimately, Moriarty attempts to take on the persona of a civilized and responsible individual when he acknowledges his responsibilities to his marriage vows and the children that were created as a result of his marital union. Getting a job and attempting to settle into a normal, structured home life, Moriarty does give this endeavor and life change a sincere effort, but he soon finds that this is more difficult for him than he may have expected.Due to this realization, which some might say is a recognition of his own nature as a traveling, somewhat chaotic individual with a high level of appeal to women in general, he quickly loses interest in being a good father and husband for example, ignoring the cries of his child, obsessing about t he other women with whom he was involved in the past, and more than in all probability planning the next step of his symbolic and literally road move in a calculate for what is missing in his life, and what the life of an average husband/father, in his view, fails to deliver.An Insight into Moriartys Mindset By perusal the pattern of Moriartys behavior, and the different personalities and attitudes he embraces, it is much easier to profile the mindset of this enigmatic and complicated character. Moriartys inner emptiness is apparent when his actions and value systems, flawed as they are, are separated from the action of On the Road, and the story itself is looked at in a more philosophical way.The argument can be made that Moriartys mindset is symbolic of the state of affairs in America at the time that Kerouac wrote his book because the nation was in the process of gaining a new identity following macrocosm War II and before the Korean War reached its climax, the nation collec tively, and Dean Moriarty individually, began to question what the nature of life is all about and whether the regular, day to day life of the average person is the best state of lifespan that one can reach (Begnal, 1998).A restless nation, reflected in the restless persona of Moriarty, comes shining through, tall over the plot and other characters of the book itself. Also, the question of the nature of Moriartys charisma is important when gaining a fuller understanding of his mindset and value system. If one takes the amaze that Moriarty was embedded with charisma and it was beyond his crack to do anything but to submit to its power, past Moriarty can be sympathetically viewed as a victim.However, if the position is taken that Moriarty was a calculating individual whose romantic flings were deliberately worked toward and pursued as a goal, then Moriarty can be seen as less than a charming Casanova, and more accurately, a dangerous marauder that poisons every relationship wit h which he comes into contact. The many changes of Dean Moriarty, as well as the changes he influences in others and the effects that he has on those with whom he interacts, all conspire to create within him a great deal of conflict and anxiety, which displays itself in a sort of unwiseness.This madness is also important to understand when studying the dynamic nature of Moriarty himself. Moriartys Descent into Madness By creating human conflict, chaos and turmoil for near everyone he meets, Moriarty has built for himself a complicated lifestyle that can be said to be grow in madness. This madness, like so many of the other facets of Moriartys being, eventually spill out into the open for everyone to see, much like the classic example of someone wearing their heart on their sleeve.Generally speaking, it can be fairly said that one of the most characteristic displays of some level of madness in the mind of Dean Moriarty can be seen in his wanderlust-based lifestyle and personality. Just as Moriarty traveled from one romantic liaison to another, and fathered one child after another, he journeyed from one physical location to another. This journey can be viewed as a quest to fill the emptiness within his soul in some instances, or a desire to escape from any form of commitment in others.The similitude of this journey to the journey of realization that America was taking at the time is also accurate and appropriate. Whichever comparing one chooses, no one can deny that the rapid pace at which Moriarty went back and onwards from one destination to another is indicative of at least some level of madness. As Moriarty traveled about, his madness was further shown to be strong and prominent by his disregard for the wellbeing of others. Specifically depicted in the book is Moriartys journey to Chicago, during which his outlandish behavior puts others at risk, but he seems not to be concerned about it in the slightest.Yet another piece of evidence that speaks to th e level of madness that Moriarty reaches in the book is punctuated by the behavior that he not only sees as nothing out of the ordinary, but also that he recommends to others, and tries to convince them to participate in as something that is acceptable. Specifically, Moriarty at one point makes the suggestion that his protege of sorts, Sal, and his wife join Moriarty in stripping off their clothes and running about in public.What this shows is not only Moriartys deteriorated sense of right and wrong, but also his general contempt for the trappings of conventional society, rebellion against that society, and his desire to express his total freedom and ability to do whatever he wishes, whenever he wishes, without any notable consequences for himself or others. Sadly, of course, his actions are creating chaos wherever he goes, even if he is blind to it. Lastly, something needs to be said about Moriartys drunken lifestyle, as well as its influence on his behaviors and choices.When he in dulges in alcohol binges, his erratic behavior increases, more bad choices are made, and more people are affected for the worse. The women and children that he leaves in his alcoholic wake are forced to pick up the pieces and clean up the messes that Moriarty creates. All the while, he carries on- seemingly oblivious to what he is causation to happen, and dulled by his own vices. Conclusion Just as On the Road profiled an entire generation and reflected the spirit of a nation in transition, so too did Dean Moriarty.Based in part on actual people whom Kerouac knew, this character represented a composite of the quest for happiness and heart and soul in a chaotic world as well as the paradox of someone who wants to pursue their own enjoyments but too late realizes that total indulgence carries with it a steep price. In conclusion, what is seen in both Moriarty and the story in which he exists is the brilliance, and frailty of the human mind, the search for enlightenment, and the jour ney along the way- basically, the road that is chosen and what that means for the traveler.