The women in Jack Kerouac's On the Road were, it seems, not afforded the same depth in character which the author gave the men. The treatment of the women characters in both word and action by Sal and Dean seems to show that women could only be an Eve figure or a Lilith referring to Biblical analogies. Throughout the novel there are many instances in which women and their feelings or actions are either referred to flippantly or blatantly degraded. It can be said, however, that Sal (Kerouac) did not necessarily agree with this narrow female identity, and there is evidence to support this claim. The novel also shows, though, that Sal did participate in this male forced female stereotyping whether he wanted to or not. This is not to say that Sal (Kerouac) is necessarily malicious in his treatment of women but more possibly he is merely acting in accordance with the way he was raised and the way in which society treated women at the time. In effect while Sal and the novel may try to make points against the poor treatment of women, the novel tends to reinforce the sexist male domination at the time. The novel, on a certain level endorses the narrow female identity and the femme fatale dichotomy contained therein, whi
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She has been a mother to cook for him and fret over him. This can be seen when Sal arrives in Denver the first time and when Sal and Dean travel to the interior of Mexico. Eventually, though, Galatea catches up to Ed and of course, he gets back with her. Whether Kerouac intended this claim to be in the novel, it is there as a reflection of his belief system and the attitudes of the time; apparently there are no redeeming qualities inherent in the female identity. Also this would appeal to Sal's previously expressed ideas about settling down with his little "family". He was able to sleep with her in a hotel in California and she also got to cook for him and fret over him while he was working in the cotton fields. This is something that should not have been as easy as it was for Sal. Chris Challis, is his book Quest For Kerouac, discusses the selfish treatment of Carolyn by Kerouac and Neal in their later years. Sal has just returned from his first trip west. " Dean, of course, immediately discounts the statement as untrue. There is, however, besides all of this obvious limiting of the female identity, some evidence in On the Road that Kerouac was aware of the problems but just unwilling or unable to do anything about them.
Sal’s attitude appears to digress from his earlier attraction to Terry. For Example, another strange aspect dealing with Terry's identity is how after he leaves, she becomes a whore again. Did he really care so much for her? Does he possibly feel that she is nothing he can not find anywhere else? It also seems odd that he relies on his Aunt for his departure and possible substitutes one mother figure for another.
Approximate Word count =
2232
Approximate Pages =
9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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