On The Road. Jordan Duling 12-3-10

I recently began reading the acclaimed novel, On The Road by famous beat writer, Jack Kerouac. With the knowledge that I have gained form taking this course, I feel like the message of the book was able to hit closer to home. The journey taken by the narrator during the first few chapters of the book perfectly show how a hitchhiking trip can have a profound impact on the traveler. The narrator, Sal Paradise, meets dozens of unique characters along the way who each share with him a window into their lives. These relationships are very similar to those that are formed on the Appalachian Trail. During chapter four of the novel, Sal discovers that one of the men he has met knows a previously met individual earlier in their respective journeys. Much like how on the AT, hikers seem to for an interconnected web of acquaintances. On The Road, and the plot can easily be applied to the treks made by those hiking the Appalachian Trail.