ion of "we’re finally going to find IT!" (Kerouac, 253) on their trip to Mexico is a clear example. Sal’s equal desire to find himself and the American culture in a cross country trip is another. The search for love in strange women, good times when it seems as though there are none to be had, and ongoing conversations about everything and anything all contribute to this idea as well. Also, the relationship of jazz to this search for IT and the continuation of constant optimism is relevant. Jazz always seems to fulfill just what they are looking for, a wordless conversation of the minds that goes beyond what individuals can usually do together, and rarely ends in a depressing conclusion. Carruth writes the following about jazz: "Freedom and discipline concur only in ecstasy" (Carruth, 27), suggesting that both of these happen in jazz music, creating a sense of ecstasy. Carruth notes that jazz music can have the ability to allow the players and listeners alike to "transcend the objective world" (Carruth, 27), something that Sal and Dean might be looking for in their search for IT. Unfortunately though, these two central characters fail to transcend this reality as jazz musicians might be able to, and they are stuck in the hopeless American landscape that Vopat so plainly notes. The influence of jazz continually renews their hopes and helps them remain optimistic though. Regardless, their lust for life and new experiences is consistently underscored by the change to the depressing reality that mostly nothing will work out as planned and a return to the established order is inevitable.Kerouac’s On the Road is a novel in which the depressing conclusions of events and characters are masked by the early optimism that is laid down time and time again through Sal Paradise’s narration. This is not to say that the whole novel is defined by pessimism, for Sal and his crew do have fun and do experience a great de...
