Introduction

On the Road by Jack Kerouac is an autobiographical novel that has come to symbolize the American youth subculture of the 1950s. The book chronicles the cross-country travels of Sal Paradise, the book's narrator, and his wild friend Dean Moriarty over a period of three years. The two hitchhike, party, steal, love, and absorb all the wonders of America and its citizens. Although the novel is in some ways a travelogue of the many places Sal visits—and features breathtaking descriptions of the sights he sees—the story primarily focuses on the rocky relationship Sal and Dean share.

The book is heavily based on Kerouac's actual experiences with his friend Neal Cassady and their mutual friends, including author William Burroughs and poet Allen Ginsberg. All appear in On the Road under pseudonyms, since the publisher...