Atough Spiritual Journey

On the Road is the representative work of Jack Kerouac, one of the leading writers of the"Beat Generation", telling a story of the journeys made by Sal Paradise and his"beat"friends across the American continent, even to the Mexican world. When the book was published in 1957, the famous reviewer Gilbert Millstein commented on the book:…"Just as, more than any other novel of the Twenties, The Sun Also Rises came to be regarded as the testament of the Lost Generation, so it seems certain that On the Road will come to be known as that of the Beat Generation"(New York Times: 1957). And he was right. The book has been regarded as the classic of the"Beat Generation"ever since its publication.This thesis aims to analyze On the Road from the perspective of cultural identity. Confronted with the depression of the spiritual world, the"beat"young men abandoned their white identity and escaped from the mainstream society, trying to find their spiritual paradise in the ethnic minorities. However, due to their ignorance of black culture and the exclusiveness of the white identity, they finally failed in their attempt.This thesis is divided into four chapters plus an introduction and a conclusion.In addition to a brief account of Jack Kerouac's life and literary achievements in American literature, and the literary significance of On the Road, the introduction part reviews present research of the novel at home and abroad, and states the necessity and significance of this research.Chapter One contains a brief introduction of the social background of the"Beat Generation", and then the emergence and development of the"Beat Generation"are analyzed. Besides, the quest of the beat youngsters for a new cultural identity is introduced.Chapter Two elaborates on the crisis of the white identity of the beat youngsters in On the Road, probing deep into its reasons and manifestations.Chapter Three is devoted to a survey of the historical incitation of the loss of identity and the longing for"the other"identity in On the Road, including friendship within the beat circle, pursuit for the marginal cultural identity, and the good times of the beat friends in their"black paradise".Chapter Four is about the young men's disillusionment with their quest for cultural identity. The black community turned out to be their illusive paradise. There are deep-rooted reasons for their failure to acquire a new black identity, that is, the beat ones'ignorance of black culture and exclusiveness of white culture. Therefore, after several vagrancies, the beat men finally restored their white identity.The thesis ends with a conclusion in which the significant points of the study are further highlighted. Behind the desperate means the"beat"youngsters took in On the Road lies their sincerity and eagerness to achieve their spiritual salvation in a world of voidness.