Quest for Identity in On the Road
In Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road, the author tries to convey to the audience that everybody is naturally dishonest and morally deceitful. Morals are defined by one's religion, the laws of the country, or some combination of the two. One's identity captures and plays out that individual’s moral. My morals follow the Christian beliefs, Texas state laws, and the laws of the United States. Although one's own morals can change, basic things such as stealing and murder are wrong and illegal by federal law. Numerous characters performed many acts proving this point such as Montana Slim, who says in order to get money, follow a man down an alley and rob him, or Dean, who never feels remorse for beating Mary Lou after a fight. These along with other characters display such actions that show that everyone is morally deceitful.
In Part 1, Chapter 4, Sal tells Montana Slim that he only has enough money to buy some whiskey. Slim says to Sal,
"I know where you can get some."
"Where?"
"Anywhere. You can always folly a man down an alley, can't you? ...I ain't beyond doing it when I really need some dough." (27)
At this early point in the novel, Sal is still figuring out who he is and what life is like on the road. He seems like a young naive schoolboy being bullied by an older, wiser kid. Slim knows what he is talking about because he has been on the road for some time now. He has probably robbed quite a few people throughout his experience on the road. This act is, by law, wrong and dishonest.
In Part 2, chapter 6, while Dean, Mary Lou, Ed Dunkel, and Sal stopped at a gas station on the way to New Orleans, Dunkel casually steals three packs of cigarettes. The way the narrator says it is that he stole them without even trying. He then justifies it by saying that they were fresh out (139). The language used is just so "non-chalant," as if stealing was no big deal. Stealing, like robbing, is illegal and morally wrong. The part that is most disturbing is that Dunkel feels that stealing cigarettes is okay, that it is necessary for survival just like food or water. Stealing food or water in order to survive can be justified, but not cigarettes.
Self-identity allows you to be your own individual person; it allows you to be able to fit in with certain groups. However being a teen and trying to develop a self-identity of you own is very difficult.In Evan Hunter story "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" the theme of self-identity and its cause and effects have been explored.This will be shown through an analysis of why Andy joined the gang, the reasoning of why the couple did not help him, and also Andys thoughts about the identity he has chosen towards the end of the story.
To establish the idea of an impressionable Perry, Capote needs an example of Perry conforming to Dick’s values. This opportunity arises when Dick questions the validity of Perry’s past killing. Perry has described that he had, “picked up this bike chain… hit him across the face… kept right on… left him there” (Capote 112). Vulnerability is exemplified by Perry’s anecdote, because he, “was not a gifted liar, or a prolific one” heavily implying that Perry has not killed before the recent murders (Capote 112). Capote’s inclusion of this fallacious anecdote reveals the truth about Perry’s moral obligations, namely that he has none. Perry simply grasps the moral values which appear closest at hand and clings on to them for dear life. In this case Perry’s true morals are synthesized into Dick’s, proving how evil can infest mentally defenseless people.
One of the most argued topics throughout history is the conflict of law versus morality. It is hoped that law and morality would work together hand in hand. Unfortunately, there are many instances where law is corrupted and subdues morality. Even in the modern age injustices caused by the law seems like a common occurrence. Literary figures like John Steinbeck and Mark Twain believed that it was important to remain devoted to one's morality, or find new morals when law is corrupted. Through Twain and Steinbeck's most influential works Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Grapes of Wrath clearly show the authors' view on the significance of morality. Examples in the novels include the depiction of suffering caused by the law, the idea of
Morality is defined as "beliefs about what is right behavior and what is wrong behavior (Meriam-Webster). In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the main character, Huckleberry Finn evolves throughout the book. Although Huck begins as a reckless and uncivilized boy, he turns into a person with justifiable moral values and a good sense of what's right in the world.
A father and a son survives a cataclysmic event; the destruction of the world. They become homeless scavengers, hunting for food, looking for shelter, and following the one and only road to the coast where there might be a sign of hope. Cormac McCarthy tells us a post-apocalyptic epic. This breathtaking novel is a love story of a father and a son, which also depicts the human nature and how people can react in desperate times.
A case study that provided psychologists with evidence of the effects of privation comes from the case of Genie (Curtiss). She was 13 years old when she was found, after spending her entire life up until that point, locked in a room. Her father subjected her to this cruelty because he suspected she was mentally deficient. When she was found she was unable to speak or stand properly. She never fully recovered socially after she was discovered and it was reported that she showed a disinterest in other people. This lack of recovery is support for Bowlby’s theory, in that because she failed to form attachments this affected her relationships later in life.
Cormac McCarthy’s bestseller, The Road, involves a theoretical, post-apocalyptic world. He is able to use literary devices to affect those who read his novel as well as the outcome of his story. He fabricates a clear picture for anyone who chooses to pick up his book. The constant imagery throughout The Road creates a mental picture of this desperate world McCarthy’s characters are forced to survive in.
As the sessions are bounded in time, it is more appropriate for the social worker to place his emphasis on strengthening the members by supplying information and skills, so that they are left with stronger coping skill even when the group terminates. (Robert Glass, 1968) However, I acknowledge the drawbacks of this model that it rejects the diagnosis and treatment of individual problems, hence making it hard to evaluate if the sessions are successful in helping those girls with psychological issues. (Whittaker, 1970)
Recently, studies have shown that income inequality has many connections that have caused the gap in the United States. According to the research I found, income inequality is connected to corruption, trade, wages of workers, and education. The world income inequality had declined since the twentieth century according to the studies found (Clark). Corruption falls increasing on low income individuals more than higher income individuals. Additionally, the trade theory suggests that the free trade might have level up the income inequality higher within countries by the different patterns of wages and demand for workers who are skilled and unskilled (Silva and Leichenko). Moreover, the education of wealthier people has it easier because the learning efforts of education are unbalanced. Besides, income inequality in the United States is hurting our economy due to the all the issues of corruption, trade, wages, and education. Suggested by Robert H. Frank article called “Income Inequality: Too Big to Ignore,” the income inequality is bad for our economy (Frank).
To begin, “On Morality'; is an essay of a woman who travels to Death Valley on an assignment arranged by The American Scholar. “I have been trying to think, because The American Scholar asked me to, in some abstract way about ‘morality,’ a word I distrust more every day….'; Her task is to generate a piece of work on morality, with which she succeeds notably. She is placed in an area where morality and stories run rampant. Several reports are about; each carried by a beer toting chitchat. More importantly, the region that she is in gains her mind; it allows her to see issues of morality as a certain mindset. The idea she provides says, as human beings, we cannot distinguish “what is ‘good’ and what is ‘evil’';. Morality has been so distorted by television and press that the definition within the human conscience is lost. This being the case, the only way to distinguish between good or bad is: all actions are sound as long as they do not hurt another person or persons. This is similar to a widely known essay called “Utilitarianism'; [Morality and the Good Life] by J.S. Mills with which he quotes “… actions are right in the proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.';
It is a defense mechanism in place for all humans, which when triggered, can cause them to commit many acts that, they themselves would see as despicable. This can be seen in times of desperation and where breaking morals is the only way to survive. Furthermore, at times of war, one may be driven to do things that their former self would not agree with. This is due to the exposure to violent or disturbing experiences that result from war. Another time where a person can go against their moral compass is when they are in a high risk situation, where harsh punishments are about to be placed, such as imprisonment. In Three Day Road, Joseph Boyden creates conflicts and uses how characters handle these conflicts to portray that it is human nature to go beyond the morals one stands for and do anything in order to survive. However, even though these flexibility of morals allow one to make it through survival situations, they leave one scarred with horrible memories or leave them in a state where one is unable to think rationally and is better off having accepted the repercussions of keeping with
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, tells the story of a father and son’s dangerous journey to a safer place. Through the use of the characters, McCarthy expands upon hope making it a major theme of the novel. Although the father hopes for a better world for his son while the boy is hopeful that there are other good guys, both dreams are pursued because they provide motivation to move towards a more hopeful future.
In The Great Gatsby, many individuals are involved in a struggle to find themselves and who they want to be. Personal identity is a very challenging thing to define. Everyone has an image in their mind of who they want to be. These images are usually very different from the actual identity of a person. In this novel, Jay Gatsby’s search or struggle for a new identity for himself is an ongoing journey. He has dedicated his entire life creating an image to impress Daisy Buchanan and to set himself into her society. This image does not necessarily depict who he is in reality.
Looking closely at any economy and trying to determine what makes its grow or decline you will more than likely find that the amount of disposable income is a critical factor. Other factors may include the nature of political landscape in the area, level of technological advancements, and natural resources. (Suisse, 2013). The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of income inequality is the unequal distribution of earnings among individuals. This research paper will look into what factors lead to income inequality in the American economy and identify whether or it may be a cause for market failure. In addition, this paper will identify the nature, scope and severity of market failure caused by this issue. Furthermore, research
This study examines the impact of income inequality to an economy’s growth rate. To better understand the effect of income inequality’s relation to growth rate, pieces of literature such as Kuznets (1955) as well as Galor and Zeira (1993) will be analyzed and implemented in a fashion similar to Barro (2000) literature analyzing developing economies. This study utilizes a nonparametric regression model to compare cross-country regressions.