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BY SAM KRIEG
Not everyone shares the vision of the 1950s as an idyllic postwar era full of perfect homes and white picket fences.
Jack Kerouac was one of those who disagreed, a man who sought to share his own, very different perspective. Kerouac inspired people to hitchhike and become the "Beat Generation" with his autobiographical novel "On the Road." Continuing what began in "On the Road" was Kerouac's last novel, "Big Sur."
"Big Sur" deals with Kerouac's alter ego, Jack Dulouz, and the friends he has accumulated throughout his adventures, who are chronicled in previous books. Beaten down by the celebrity his writing has given him, Dulouz journeys out--via bus instead of hitchhiking--to California, in an attempt to calm himself and get back to his roots.
Peace temporarily rewards Dulouz with its presence, before it is drowned in a sea of alcohol. As Dulouz reconnects with his old gang and meets new people, his attempts to revive old feelings and insights seem hollow. He requires more and more alcohol to function.
Eventually, despite the presence of his best friends, Dulouz ends up in a feverish state brought on by his alcoholism. When he comes out of it, at the book's end, he assures himself that things will turn out fine in the end. However, nothing is solved.
"Big Sur" was written in a significantly different style from "On the Road." It contains long, run-on sentences in a very stream-of-consciousness fashion, as if one were speaking quickly. This prevents the reader from going too quickly for fear of getting lost. Many times lines must be reread; however, the style has a very poetic quality to it.
Despite constant self-assurances, the novel fails to come to grips with the fact that, even after all his adventures, Dulouz didn't really find any light at the end of the tunnel. Thus, despite its poetry, in the end "Big Sur" is a sad story.
Sam Krieg is a student at Germanna Community College.
