The characters in the movie, although on the road together, are never on the same road, because they are all on the road for different reasons.
In order to better analyze the movie, first analyze the character attributes.
1. The main character
, the male protagonist Sal, was born in a family that immigrated to the United States from Europe, but from the perspective of home environment, family education, Sal's college education background and his elder sister's marriage, Sal's parents have accumulated considerable amounts of money. Economic strength, so it is definitely not a first-generation immigrant, at least a third- or even fourth-generation immigrant.
Before Sal's death, Sal's father said to Sal, "Son, you have no calluses on your hands." These words were meaningful, indicating that Sal grew up in a honey pot, and his father was full of sorrow for his son's future. Sal, who was in his early 20s, should have been independent at the age of 18, but he also lived in his own house after graduating from college. It is estimated that he has not suffered much.
Dean's family environment was much worse. He spent his childhood wandering with his father, and then his father disappeared. It can be speculated here that Dean's father must have gone bankrupt in the Great Depression. Either the house was repossessed by the bank, or there was no money to pay the rent, or the family was swept out of the house anyway. Wandering was also very sad, but his father disappeared, and Dean, who needed to be taken care of, lost his father. The shadow of childhood caused Dean to resist the responsibility of the character, thinking that he does not need to be responsible, and others should be responsible for him. Dean's emotional intelligence will always stay at the age of twelve or three. Seriously, I personally think Dean is a tragic character, not some kind of "Beat G" hero, which is explained below.
The family background of the character Marylu doesn't have much foreshadowing, but when she first appeared on the scene, she told Sal that "it feels good to be cared about", it can be speculated that Marylu is also a tragic character. It is estimated that in her family or previous circles, there are not many people who care about her, not even one. She lacks the feeling of being cared for and noticed, and she is eager to be the focus of everyone, fantasizing that she is Everyone loves it, and the car sees the car. It can be said that the character of Marylu, as long as others give her such a little attention, no matter what other demands of her in the future, she will rush over.
2. Other characters
Village teacher, this character is the truth emperor, when Sal lived in his house, he saw through Dean's RP. The teacher should have been crazy when he was young, but then the prodigal son turned back and got married.
Fat Dunco is a strict wife control, there is no need to say too much here, he and his wife are used to reflect how much society at that time hates people like Dean, and so does the sherrif who fines the highway.
As for Sal's mother, she also doesn't agree with people like Dean, but her disgust is not as strong as that of other passers-by. Maybe she also gradually began to classify her son Sal as someone like Dean. His own son is so rotten, so naturally he has no right to say anything about Dean.
Let's start analyzing the plot.
The main character appeared
Sal Wenqing to attend his father's funeral, and later met Dean. Sal would hang out with Dean and lead a rotten life, partly for inspiration and partly because of emptiness.
When Sal first met Dean, there was a scene where two people were talking about their dads. In this scene, although Sal has a lot of criticism towards his father, he still respects his father in his heart. Sal just wants to prove himself in front of his father, but everything has gone to dust and dust, and there is no chance for him. . But Dean was different. He had a contemptuous attitude towards his father. It can be seen how much trauma Dean's childhood shadows have caused him.
As for Marylu, as soon as she saw the hero say hi to her, she immediately said, "It feels good to have someone who cares." She is a person who lacks care and attention, and her desire to be cared and noticed has reached a morbid level. What kind of person is Dean, anyone who is a little sensible knows he's a rotten guy. But she, Marylu, had to stick to the cow dung, which means that as long as someone is willing to slap her, she will answer everything. Dean went back to Denver after
the first time on the road and wrote Sal to go to Denver.
On the way, Sal hitchhiked N times. In fact, with Sal's family background, he could have done it with a train, but he wanted to hitch a ride. In fact, Sal was proving to his dead father that he could endure hardships. As for Sal's motivation for going to Denver, it's probably to get inspiration for writing, so let's play with you.
Arrived in Denver, found that Dean was going to marry a female college student named Camila, and went to California with her, but continued to fool around with Marylu.
Speaking of this Camila, is also a tragic figure. If you pay attention carefully, you will find that this Camila is a self-denying person. When Sal met her for the first time, she said, "You must be wondering what he likes about me?" Her words showed that she was a self-confident person, self-denying, thinking that she was worthless and hers It is commonplace, and at the same time she is eager to be affirmed by others. With her knowledge, she could have found a better one, but she ended up with Dean. It means that as long as someone affirms her, she will answer everything. So much so that she never suspected Dean was fooling around before she married Dean.
As for Dean, he's been between Camila and Marylu. He married Camila like marrying a nanny back home, to make up for the shadow of his childhood loss of relatives to take care of, he didn't really love Camila. And being with Marylu allows him to escape his family responsibilities.
The first time there was an episode on the road, when Sal and Dean went to pick up a girl, Dean saw a beggar who looked a lot like his father. At that time, Dean's expression was very subtle, indicating that he had a love-hate relationship with his father, and that there was a complex in his heart that was not resolved. This paved the way for Dean to return to Denver to find his father in the future.
After the carnival, Sal returned to New York. On the way, he went to a cotton farm to work to earn fares. He met Terry, an Indian woman, who personally believed that this woman was Sal's true love, but due to racial issues, the two did not get together. Sal ends up back in New York, ending up on the road for the first time.
At Christmas, Dean
Sal and his mother went to my sister's house for Christmas again. Dean, Marylu and Fat Dunco passed by as guests. Sal's elder sister had a contemptuous attitude towards these three uninvited guests, which reflected the considerable disgust of the Beat Generation in the mainstream society at that time. By this time Dean had married Camila and had a child, but Dean was still running around + fooling around with Marylu. Dean revealed to Sal that he had attempted suicide after getting married. Dean is a person with a burden on his back. One burden is the need to be taken care of (the need for others to be responsible for him), and the other is the lack of joy. The so-called "joy" refers to the happiness that radiates from the heart. And Dean can only rely on some external things to get happiness, these external things are nothing more than tobacco and alcohol, drugs, cheating and the so-called freedom. Without these things, you are surrounded by emptiness, surrounded by despair. So he is full of energy, and he can't stop for a quarter of an hour. It's not that he is physically strong, but that he has to be. This constitutes Dean's life model. When he can put down the burden, he can stop, otherwise he will be on the road for the rest of his life, on the road of confusion!
When Dean drove Sal and his mom back to New York, Sal felt Dean had grown up. Omg! Sal is really a pattern! Dean just used another excuse to keep avoiding what he was supposed to face. The bastard actually instigated Sal and the one with Marylu (everyone knows it), Sal promised but didn't do it.
Second time on the road
Sal followed Dean, Marylu, and Dunco to California, and sent Dunco home through Louisiana. The attitude of the fat wife's anger and scolding for issuing speeding tickets to Sherrif reflects that people like Dean are cast aside by society. One of the Dunco's relatives was a village teacher. The teacher told Sal that Dean had no sense of responsibility for people, he didn't have the concept at all, but he felt that others had an obligation to satisfy him. Sal defends Dean that he brings a lot of joy to people, and the teacher retorts sharply, saying that this is an illusion and Dean's trick. But Sal, who was stunned, didn't take the teacher's words to heart.
Sal's group continued on their way. On the way, Marylu complained to Sal, she had seen through Dean, he was just having fun with her, he didn't really love her at all, Marylu wanted to go back to Denver to marry her fiancé. In California, Dean was going home, leaving Marylu and Sal at the hotel door. Watching Dean leave, Marylu was full of disappointment, because she expected Dean to stay and keep her, leave Camila and marry her, but everything is her own YY. So Marylu went back to Denver after cheating with Sal. Marylu finally knew what she wanted, so she ended the "on the road" state.
Then, Sal went to Dean, Dean left his wife and children to fool around, and Camila was determined to sweep Dean and Sal out of the house together. Dean proposes to go back to Denver to find Dad, accompanied by Sal. It's weird, Dean wasted so many years fooling around, never thinking about looking for Dad, but after being kicked out by his wife, he went to Dad. Since he didn't find it, his motive for doing so became a mystery. Later, the two returned to New York together, and the second time ended on the road.
third time on the road
The two came to Mexico together, but after the carnival, Sal became seriously ill. When he needed the most care, Dean abandoned him on the grounds of going back to California to file for a divorce, and Sal shed tears. This confirms what the teacher said to Sal when he was on the road for the second time, "Dean has no sense of responsibility for people. He doesn't have this concept at all, but he feels that others have an obligation to satisfy him", " It's an illusion and a trick." After this experience, Sal never hit the road with Dean again, or Sal didn't need the joy Dean brought him. A year later, Sal met Dean on the streets of New York, he showed Sal a letter from his wife, Camila actually forgave him and let him go home (Aw! Camila is such a cheap word!) Dean can be seen He doesn't want to go back, he still doesn't want to face the responsibilities he should bear, he still has to be on the road!
To sum up
, I haven't read the original book. I feel that the movie is to express that I have lost my way and know my way back. I don't know how to go back.
Personally, I think that in the "Beat Generation", only the male protagonist is normal, at least his motives on the road are positive - to prove himself and to write inspiration. Dean, Marylu. . . Waiting is the way to avoid certain problems. Later, everyone had an epiphany, and they all understood that the problems they faced were not escapable, and they all settled down, but Dean was unwilling and continued on the road. Continuing to escape from life, he just wants someone to pay for him forever, take care of him forever, let him play forever, and it is best to take care of him. If you get lost and don’t know where to turn, you deserve to be on the road all your life!
View more about On the Road reviews
