Monday, January 11, 2010

Hey this is Tiffany, sorry i was mid posting a blog yesterday but then I never sent it, anyway the book was confusing at first but now i really like it because its kind of taking an adventure across the country similar to Chris McCandless
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8 comments:

  1. EmmaJanuary 11, 2010 at 7:04 PM

    I agree with you. i think it takes me a couple chapters to really understand the book. But once i get the basis of the book and listen to some in class discussions it makes things more clear. I am enjoying the book so far as well
    I think that Sal is a pretty interesting character. He is obviously running away from something (still havent been able to figure out quite what yet) but he seems kind of negative. He took a liking to the opera they saw, Fidelio and agreed with the person when they cried the lines "What gloom!"
    i dont know...he reminds me much of myself, especially in chapter 8 when he insists on sleeping, but listens in on the conversation anyway. He seems more of an observer of the group of people he travels with and then sometimes decides to add his input.

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  2. CourtneyJanuary 11, 2010 at 7:11 PM

    the books getting a little more interesting, the characters are starting to develop a little bit more. Also it seems like the beats really like to party

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  3. Tiffany ChanJanuary 11, 2010 at 7:15 PM

    i agree, I feel like he's more of an observer of the group and watches different characters and follows the ones he likes. He also comments on how he loves the laughter of certain people, how they're all filled with life. I'm enjoying this book thus far, it all seems like some sort of spontaneous adventure like, again, Chris McCandless, and when he said he wanted to go to San Francisco he just said good bye and packed up to leave, Sal's like in paradise (like his name) he has no real worries, or at least he's acting as if he has no worries, I'm interested to see how far he'll run before reality bites his butt

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  4. Ben DensonJanuary 11, 2010 at 7:55 PM

    One thing i've been noticing is a sense of camaraderie between the characters. Everywhere Sal goes there are always a group of followers or friends in that particular city or area.And Sal and Dean often run into "old friends" wherever they are. The beats(or this group of beat people) really seem like a family or some united group more than a sub-culture.
    It seems like Sal finds comfort in this group and he can give himself an identity with these people, since like we said in class, he doesn't really know who he is

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  5. Reine LiJanuary 11, 2010 at 8:58 PM

    The book is definitely more interesting after reading the new section. The characters are developing more and yes, Tiffany, I agree with you in that Sal is running from something, but not sure what. It also seems like that Sal isn't really involved in anything they are doing, more of an observer than an actual participant. He's looking for something (perhaps for his identity?) and he's unsure of himself a bit. These people really have no plans, and no real fortunes, so they simply take the money that they have and suddenly depart to some unknown place to just experience it.

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  6. DavidJanuary 11, 2010 at 9:31 PM

    One of my favorite lines from tonight's reading was: "We were on the roof of America and all we could do was yell, I guess-across the night, eastward over the Plains, where somewhere an old man with white hair was probably walking toward us with the Word, and would arrive any minute and make us silent" (55). Sal resembles a teenager in many ways (including his rebellious attitude and his lack of direction in life), and in these chapters I realized that as a literary character, we don't know Sal any more than he knows himself.

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  7. Tahra AngladeJanuary 11, 2010 at 9:47 PM

    The book is interesting, I agree, but for me the 50s is just a time period I don't understand or like. But I'm trying not to let my hatred of the 50s block me from reading the book unbiasedly. I'm really starting to notice that Sal is more of a listener than a talker. I agree with Tiffany too, that Sal is running from something. I bet the climatic point of the book is when he finds what he's looking for.

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  8. antonyJanuary 11, 2010 at 10:42 PM

    I think that Sal is searching for his identity in society. He's afraid to assert himself in his conversation with Dean and Carlo, showing that he has no real firm stance in life. I think that he is on the road to find his identity and that each place he visits is an attempt to try to fit in. However, since he moves from place to place so quickly, its clear that he is still searching.

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