Degradation of Women in Jack Kerouac’s On The Road Essay -- On The Roa

The Degradation of Women in On The Road An argument can be made that the women in Jack Kerouacs On The Road are not as characteristically well developed as the men. Through Sal and Deans interactions with women, the reader sees that there live two types of females in this unused - the benevolent virgin/mother run into or the whore. Women are constantly referred to in a negative itinerary or blatantly degraded and insulted by numerous characters. However, Kerouac (through the character of Sal) exhibits generosity for women. Sal does occasionally participate in female stereotyping, but this is simply because he wants to fit in. Although Sal may try to make arguments against the poor treatment of women, the novel in its entirety seems to reinforce male domination. On the Road endorses the teaching that women exist as either a virgin or a whore and Sals character is not strong enough to offset this public opinion(Bartlett 135). Although women are portrayed negatively in the novel , they do play a key role in many ways. Dean always involve to halt a woman around to make his experiences more real. As a result, women in general are often degraded. Marylou, for example, is constantly talked somewhat but never talked to. She is not socially valuable enough to carry in conversation. When Dean tries to persuade Sal to sleep with Marylou, the dialogue is between Sal and Dean. Marylou doesnt have one line. All she really has is a little go forward. That is all and that really does not even imply cooperation only compulsion like go ahead and You do Your thing to me. Dean is airily wanting... ...icate Dynamics of Friendship A Reconsideration of Kerouacs On The Road. American Literature. v46 200-206. 1974. Holmes, behind C. The Philosophy of the rhythm method Generation. On the Road. schoolbook and Criticism. By Jack Kerouac. Ed. Scott Donaldson. freshly York Penguin, 1979. 367-79. Kerouac, Jack. On The Road. Ed. Scott Donaldson. New York Penguin, 1979. Krupa t, Arnold. Dean Moriarty as Saintly Hero. On the Road. Text and Criticism. By Jack Kerouac. Ed. Scott Donaldson. New York Penguin, 1979. 397-411. Lorch, Thomas M. Purdys Malcolm A Unique visual sense of Radical Emptiness. Wisconsin Studies in Contemporary Literature. 6 (1965) 204-13. Purdy, James. Malcolm. London, New York Serpents Tail, 1994. Watson, Steven. The Birth of The Beat Generation. New York 1981