Neglecting materialistic needs, Dean does not have a proper job in fact. Being homeless, he drifts from place to place with Mary Lou. Instead of feeling shame of it, Dean enjoys this kind of life. Frequently, he sets out on a journey with little money, instead steals food and other necessities in stores along the way to satisfy the basic need of his existence without feeling guilty.
Hating to be the bondage of society rules and regulations, mad man Dean Moriarty bring out his nature without any concession, just act as what he is. In addition, he is also an anarchist, who is indifferent to politics and against the actions of American government at home and abroad. Such a radical man is never bound by conventions and social morality. He takes marijuana heavily when driving and gathering with friends. It is one of his ways to release feelings and get spiritual freedom. Just as some beat writers taking drugs such as hallucinogen in order to escape from the cruel reality, gain inner peace and inspiration for writing at that time, even being addicted. Jazz music is another enjoyment to him, which even makes him crazier with passion. He owns unique insight toward music. Dean and Sal once went to a Frisco nightclub to enjoy a show where Dean met his God, Slim Gaillard, a black Jazz singer, and was totally intoxicated with his performance.
At the same time, he is an overly amorous apple, so indulge in sensual pleasures: “to him sex was the one and only holy and important thing in life.” There is something magic in Dean, his personality, which gives him fatal attraction to women, even to men. For instance, Carlo Marx is infatuated with him, and actually, also has homosexual relations with Dean; he usually feels hurt seeing Dean flirting with girls. It seems that every young guy loves Dean, everyone likes getting along with him, even blindly follow his arrangement. As for the romance with Mary Lou and Camille, though he divorces Mary Lou and marries Camille, he still sees Mary Lou as his true love. When he cheats on both of them, he always has the ability to lie still with the same composure, without turning an eyelash. Dean has his own concept of time and is always on his schedule. He knows how to switch from one woman to another without any flaw. However, after he moves into Camille’s apartment and lives with her, not surprisingly, his lack of responsibility has been revealed completely and disappointed his wife. He can never be a good husband and father all his life because of his lack of family responsibility.
Overall, in normal people's eye, Dean is an extremely frivolous young man, an irresponsible liar and violent lunatic, who goes against social norms in a diametrically opposite direction.
2.2.2 Pure soul: A holy hero
Besides the mad and evil side of Dean Moriarty, there is a pure mind behind his vague appearance. In the deeper perspectives, he is a positive, courageous and kind-hearted person as well as an exceptional hero of that generation.
Most of Sal’s friends in New York “were in the negative, nightmare position of putting down society and giving their tired bookish or political or psychoanalytical reasons” at that time. In contrast to them, Dean is positive and holds an attitude full of enthusiasm, hope and boundless energy towards life. He never be defeated by poverty and difficulties in life and perseveres in searching his belief without any complain and negative thought. At all times, he always does things with great passion, no matter he is parking cars for customers in the parking lot, doing “business” with Carlo, or persuading his friends start off with him, he shows tremendous vitality. His keyed-up speaking with excellent eloquence usually convinces people easily. From this point of view, he has an attitude of mental detachment as an idealist.
In Jack Kerouac’s eye, Dean is “simply a youth tremendously excited with life”, “a holy liar” with a sea of infectious enthusiasm. The “holy” comes from the good side of Dean. Sal admired him for his infinite passion and clever mind that are the points to urge him to go on his way to in search of a new life. Kerouac describes Dean as “a western kinsman of the sun”. He is always the center of the group, the king in parties, everyone meet him would be impressed by his unique personality. They are pleased to see his crazy looks, which is full of vitality and charms. Meanwhile, “his ‘criminality’ was not something that sulked and sneered; it was a wild yea saying overburst of American joy; it was Western, the west wind, an ode from the Plains, something new, long prophesied, long a-coming (he only stole cars for joy rides).” That makes all his “criminality” become forgivable and funny. “垮掉的一代”杰克•凯鲁亚克《在路上》英语论文(5):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_446.html