Salvatore

Salvatore “Sal” Paradise is protagonist and narrator of Jack Kerouac’s iconic Beat Generation novel, On The Road, which was based on his travels across the United States with and among his friends. Written during the late 1940s and early 1950s, it was first published in 1957 and immediately became the standard bearer for its own and future generations of disenchanted youth. Sal (Kerouac) hits the road with his friend Dean Moriarty (Neil Cassady), and they criss-cross the states, sometimes together, sometimes not, seeking adventure, knowledge, answers and in general, life. This involves a myriad of people, alcohol, drugs, sex, and some illegal activities. Sal looks up to Dean as the arbiter of “cool”, as the “dean” of the mores of this new world they navigate, trying to integrate their new found values of freedom into a world of stifling conformism. Of course they fail; along the way they find even more questions than answers, and very little in the way of comfort. To his credit, it is Sal whose search ultimately frees itself from the boundaries of selfishness displayed by Dean. Sal is on a quest, but his search does not involve the merciless casting off of people who no longer serve his purposes, as does Dean’s. We know better, but we still want to root for Salvatore in the hopes that he finds that elusive place that his very name promises.