The Ending.

The last paragraph reminded me of Howl. That was my "first thought" after reading it, so it must be my best! Anyway, I really enjoyed the book. There were some parts/factors I didn't like (see my post from last night) but overall it was a good read. I really hate Dean, especially in the end. He's just so annoying, and obnoxious! I find it interesting that his name is the last word (or words really) at the end. It's like Sal associates America with Dean, which would be the same for Kerouac with his friend whose name escapes me at the moment. I really like how in the last paragraph it links all of America, meshing it all into one, kind of summing up the book. Sorry my post isn't great, I'm really sick right now and I'm trying my best!

The Ending

I thought that the last couple of chapters that I read were somewhat confusing. It was good to now that Sal was begginning to mature and that he was actually noticing it. On the other hand, Dean was not. At first, Dean was working very hard to support Inez and his second baby. Another reason why he was working so hard was because he had to pay child support to Camille since he divorced her. But then all of a sudden the old Dean comes back to his wild ways and is very careless again. Then Sal wants to go to Mexico in which I think is a good idea, but here comes Dean again looking for another excuse why he has to go. It's really disappointing to know that Dean was the one who needed to mature and play a fatherly-role when he didn't. Sal could've helped him become a better person but instead in someways he helped him become even more insane. Even though the last paragraph of the book was very deep, I wasn't a big fan of it. But hey not every book has a happy ending to it.

The ending was great! i loved how deep the last paragraph is and how dean is america and how its different, how sal thinks of him and changed. Sal matured most in the last chapters writing a book and realizing that america is where he always needed to be and he had it all along.

It scares me how much On The Road is represntative of todays youth. At the end, Sal seems pretty satisfied with who he is and I do think that he matured a great deal from the beginning to the end. By the end of the book, I forgot that at the beginning I was reading a teenager, because by the end I thought it was an adult speaking. Even though Sal made this huge metamorphasis, it woudln't have been possible without his still immature Dean. I didn't really see any progress in Dean's maturity throught. For example, when they got to Mexico Dean was crazy about going everywhere and doing everything on the entire continent. He was happy, but still a little crazy. All in all, I was pretty satisfied with the end of the book, however, I wish Dean would have come a little farther in his maturity.

at the end of the book, i am sort of upset with the consummantion of the adventure. dean goes back to his crappy life and sal is happy- but is he; i think the ending gives this illusion that sal is all happy and confident when in my mind he's still the same person and will have the same problems. i feel like the book could have ended at any particular point; there is no significance in ending it now (maybe after mexico, though). also, i think it's significant that sal got sick in mexico because it is sort of a sign that he belonged in america. oh well, i enjoyed the book and the blog; peace.

Wow! Sal and Dean really need to learn something called self control. Dean is so high he does not even recognize Sal and Sal is crushing on younger girls. when reading tonights reading I was quite frankly grossed out by Sals and Dean's behavior. I thought that they were behaving like 9th grade boys. I thought the fact that Sal was interested in a 16year old year was odd and shows how women in this book are only portrayed as objects and symbols of sex verses someone who Sal or Dean could actually fall in love with. Women in this book are not designed to bring happiness to the boys rather a high off of their beauty. On another note I thought it was really powerful how Victor turned down Deans offer to go "on the road" to the states with Sal and Dean. Dean may be convincing but obviously not that convincing. why do you think victor turned the offer down?

Deannn

So Dean in the last few chapters has gone from me thinking hes insane, he is a complete up and down character. It seems that the last parts of the book are all about Dean. How he gets hit on by a guy and begins to steal cars and do things that seem beyond him. Hes old enough now to know better, but yet he still acts like a fool. I think that Sal does not need Dean anymore, I think that Dean is bringing Sal down and thats whats causing him not to be as successful in his life as he wishes to be. Dean is the American Dream and that is why its so hard for Sal to let go. Even though Dean is portrayed as such a negative infulence on Sals life, Sal still seems to need him. The end of the book cleared up Dean and Sals relationship. It explained how no matter where they are or what they're doing, they will always manage to find eachother. I think that Sal finally realized that he can't find his future by taking road trips with his best friends and moving from state to state.