Read chapters 3 & 4 and respond to the following prompts to the best of your ability. Be aware of your language, use evidence from the text, display analysis, and cite when required.
Chapter 3
1. How is the diction in the first paragraph representative of the Beat Generation? Use a quote as support.
2. Kerouac says the Mississippi River has a "rank smell that smells like the raw body of America itself" (13). Is this a compliment or criticism?
3. As Kerouac watches people drive home on pg. 14 he realizes something. What is it? How did we see this talked about in my thesis?
4. How does Kerouac celebrate the truck driver on pg. 14? Use a quote as support. How does this explain his thoughts on blue collar folk?
5. All this travel is super fun and exciting. But it's also taxing. Find one quote to support this observation.
6. There's a biting line about what America has become on pg. 17. Cite it.
7. There are several examples of Kerouac comparing himself with tourists in this chapter. Find one and cite it. Why does he do this? Isn't he a tourist?
8. Kerouac kisses his "shirt good-by" and is not fussed at the loss (21). What does this say about his take on materialism?
Chapter 4
1. Bring to class, on paper, 3 quotes that represent Kerouac's unique style and pace as a writer. They will probably be relatively lengthy.
