Investigating the style and technique employed by Jack Kerouac in 'On the Road'
"On the Road" by Jack Kerouac is a fresh and captivating novel which follows the life of Sal Paradise as he sets to the roads of America to escape the repetition of every day life. His journeys become a quest for new experiences and a new way of living, crossing both moral and legal boundaries in search for true freedom. Kerouac uses many techniques to attempt to convey the theme of personal freedom as well as to achieve freedom of expression. Jack Kerouac applies an original, spontaneous style of writing to his novels which helps him to convey his themes. His brilliant use of imagery and his vibrant characterisations also allows him to easily express his feelings and ideas in a way that could not have been achieved otherwise.One aspect of "On the Road" which allows Kerouac to express the theme of personal freedom is use of a spontaneous method of writing. This method creates a free flowing rhythm and structure, which emphasises the theme of personal freedom due to it's loose style and ability to capture the true feelings of the author as he writes. This original style was used by Kerouac in order subconsciously to express the thoughts of the mind in a continually flowing way without the constraints of the traditional ru
Another interesting aspects of "On the Road" is characterisation. This is Dean has been described by poet Gary Snyder as being "the energy of the frontier", a "cowboy." This is an accurate depiction of Dean who is always searching for "kicks" and trying to live life to the fullest. Jack Kerouac wanted Dean to represent peoples cravings for new experiences and he wanted Dean to be the embodiment of the old wild west. Dean's importance is hinted at in the very first chapter of the novel. He is the first character who is introduced and is portrayed by the main character, Sal, as being full of life.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Jack Kerouacs, Jack Kerouac, Sal Paradise, Susquehanna Sal, Dean Moriarty, Jack Kerouac's, Ghost Susquehanna, Kerouac Dean, Pooh Bear, Dean Sal, personal freedom, sal paradise, theme personal freedom, jack kerouac, dean moriarty, theme personal, main character, effectively conveys, rules writing, real life, express theme personal, express theme, main character sal, cliffs lean ghosts, allows kerouac express,
Approximate Word count = 1787
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
