On the Road by Jack Kerouac Essay

immediately considered not solitary(prenominal) a leg remainderary work within the annals of Ameri discount literature, Jack Kerouacs On the road is similarly regarded as the pivotal work of an entire generation of young Americans looking for tendency and direction in a population not far remote from military personnel war, and becoming increasingly perplex and fast paced. In the middle of the sweeping societal changes picture by meat of Kerouacs characters in On the Road, the protagonist of the story, doyen Moriarty, stands as an iconic, enigmatic figure.In this essay, the dynamics and complexities of Moriartys personality, as well as the changes that this personality undergoes as On the Road unfolds will be discussed in order to better take not only Moriarty as a character, still also what he represents. Dean Moriartys Changes Within the Plot of On the Road The changes that Moriarty goes through in Kerouacs book are symbolic not only of the general direction of his life itself, but also the society in which he lives, the volume with whom he interacts, and what the future holds for e rattling superstar, including this character himself.Gaining even a fundamental understanding of the character of Moriarty in necessary to make this possible. Dean Moriarty makes a notable entrance into the plot of On the Road from the very beginning, he captures the interest of the early(a) characters in the book because of his very character, which is passing animated, yet appealing because of his obvious passion for life and his interest in living every moment to its fullest (Whissen, 1992).At the same time, showing that he is a unbrokenly changing separate, Moriarty is alienated from close to of the more than customary mint who are friends with otherwise main characters in the story, a set off which n wiz of the main characters make an effort to remedy, setting the stage for Moriarty to nether region his take in path in subsequent sections of the b ook. Perhaps on of the near significant feature articles of Moriarty, which serves as a catalyst for many of the changes through which he goes, is the item that he is very appealing to the opposite sex this build of wild-eyed tension creates a bit of mystery rough Moriarty (Swartz, 1999).This personal appeal also opens 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 about just by the commission 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 picture of his personality was the first step in the changes that he undergoes throughout the story.First, in regard to Moriartys changes, the fact that he carries on multiple relationships with women, many at the same time, makes it necessary for Moriarty to constantly travel th roughout the nation, rattling embodying the on the road lifestyle which forms the screenbone of Kerouacs book. The consequences of these many relationships, and the ensue complications and fealtys that come out of them, create problems for Moriarty that he is forced to confront, and conform 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 cover on any kind of a conventional life or to remain stationery in one place for any step of time the ability that most people have to lead an ordinary, daytime 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 cordial interactions with friends beyond the level of romantic interludes.Socially, Moriarty also undergoes a slap-up reckon of change as the plot of th e book unfolds. Because of Moriartys alienation from people beyond his immediate circle of close friends, he becomes more sequestered from the regular social aspects of everyday society and has a sort of sombreness 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 charismatic temper in some instances is also important to project from the viewpoint of the change that he affects in others, perhaps most importantly in the case of his best friend, Sal Paradise. Because Sal looks up to Dean in essentially every area of life as a role pattern 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 older than Dean, making the implication that Dean cou ld in fact apprise 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. get a job and attempting to settle into a normal, structured home life, Moriarty does overstep this endeavor and life change a sincere effort, but he soon finds that this is more difficult for him than he may have expected.imputable to this realization, which some might say is a recognition of his own nature as a traveling, somewhat chaotic individual with a lofty 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 the other women with whom he was involv ed in the past, and more than similarly planning the near step of his symbolic and literally road journey in a search for what is missing in his life, and what the life of an fair husband/father, in his view, fails to deliver.An Insight into Moriartys Mindset By studying 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 suffice of gaining a new identity following World War II and before the Korean War fall into placeed its climax, the nation collectively, and Dean Moriarty individually, be gan 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 living that one can reach (Begnal, 1998).A restless nation, reflected in the restless persona of Moriarty, comes shining through, loom 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 position that Moriarty was embedded with charisma and it was beyond his control to do anything but to submit to its power, then 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 dodgy predator that poisons every relationship with which he comes into contact. The many changes of Dean Moriarty, as well as the changes he twists 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 madness.This madness is also important to understand when studying the dynamic nature of Moriarty himself. Moriartys parentage into Madness By creating human conflict, chaos and turmoil for virtually everyone he meets, Moriarty has built for himself a complicated lifestyle that can be express to be rooted 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.loosely speaking, it can be fairly express 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 roman tic 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 comparison of this journey to the journey of realization that America was winning at the time is also accurate and appropriate. Whichever comparison one chooses, no one can deny that the rapid pace at which Moriarty went back and forth 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 the 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 move into 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 wheresoever 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 indulges in alcohol binges, his erratic be havior 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 causing 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 spark off on actual people whom Kerouac knew, this character represented a intricate of the quest for happiness and meaning 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 draw price. In conclusion, what is seen in both Moriarty and the story in which he exists is the brilliance, and feebleness of the human mind, the search for enlightenment, and the journey along the way- basically, the road t hat is chosen and what that means for the traveler.