On the Road Dissatisfaction Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #34

"What a crazy cat that was, whoo! Did I dig him! I used to know thousands of guys like that, they’re all the same, their minds work in uniform clockwork, oh, the infinite ramifications, no time, no time . . ." And he shot up the car, hunched over the wheel, and roared out of El Paso. (II.8.31)

The speed at which Dean drives comes to represent his madness, franticness, and interestingly, his prowess; despite his seemingly reckless driving, Dean is a very skilled motorist.

Quote #35

It was sad to see his tall figure receding in the dark as we drove away, just like the other figures in New York and New Orleans: they stand uncertainly underneath immense skies, and everything about them is drowned. Where go? what do? what for? - sleep. But this foolish gang was bending onward. (II.8.41)

In their motion, Sal compares his group to the rest of the world: the world sleeps while his group moves. Motion becomes as basic and as necessary as sleep.

Quote #36

One morning he stood naked, looking at all San Francisco out the window as the sun came up. He looked like someday he’d be the pagan mayor of San Francisco. But his energies ran out. One rainy afternoon the salesman came around to find out what Dean was doing. Dean was sprawled on the couch. "Have you been trying to sell these?"

"No," said Dean, "I have another job coming up."

"Well, what are you going to do about all these samples?"

"I don’t know." In a dead silence the salesman gathered up his sad pots and left. I was sick and tired of everything and so was Dean. II.11.4-II.11.7)

If Dean’s frantic motion were made akin to a fast sports car, then Dean just ran out of gas.