"Jack Kerouac, the Introduction"

The introduction of Jack Kerouac I found to be very interesting and informative. It felt like a small autobiography, and brief overview of the struggle to become something truly great. I thought it comical that Jack never really held down a normal job, and odd that he never felt the pressure to support his mother, instead of her supporting him for most of his life, in fact he relies on several women including his wife to support him as he struggles to write the next great American novel. The overview depicted a lost soul, wandering about the United States, desperately grasping for acceptance amongst his peers and literary critics. He latches onto characters in real life to develop his own characters within his novels. His involvement with large groups of men to find inspiration reminds me of the art movement that happened in New York with Andy Warhol. He surrounded himself with other artists to gain inspiration for his own genius. I also loved the genius of his writing style when it came to writing “On the Road.” Taping together long pieces of paper and writing non stop to kick start his mind into producing something truly unique and honest. Something about this I just really liked. His determination and belief in himself as a writer really shows through as he created a new way to write a novel.

            “Writing On the Road, Kerouac finally found his own voice and his true subject-the story of his own search for a place as an outsider in America.” Page xx