On the Road Friendship Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #10

"Dean and I are embarked on a tremendous season together. We’re trying to communicate with absolute honesty and absolute completeness everything on our minds. We’ve had to take benzedrine. We sit on the bed, crosslegged, facing each other. I have finally taught Dean that he can do anything he wants, become mayor of Denver, marry a millionairess, or become the greatest poet since Rimbaud. But he keeps rushing out to see the midget auto races. I go with him. He jumps and yells, excited. You know, Sal, Dean is really hung-up on things like that." Marx said "Hmm" in his soul and thought about this. (I.7.10)

Carlo’s desire to connect with Dean’s soul mirrors Sal’s desire to do so with a woman.

Quote #11

Major found our hurrying troubles amusing. He’d come to Denver to write leisurely. He treated Dean with extreme deference. Dean paid no attention. Major talked to Dean like this: "Moriarty, what’s this I hear about you sleeping with three girls at the same time?" And Dean shuffled on the rug and said, "Oh yes, oh yes, that’s the way it goes," and looked at his watch, and Major snuffed down his nose. I felt sheepish rushing off with Dean - Major insisted he was a moron and a fool. Of course he wasn’t, and I wanted to prove it to everybody somehow. (I.8.3)

Sal is unwavering in his desire to help his friend. These actions make Dean’s later betrayal of Sal more poignant.

Quote #12

Then they got down to business. They sat on the bed crosslegged and looked straight at each other. I slouched in a nearby chair and saw all of it. They began with an abstract thought, discussed it; reminded each other of another abstract point forgotten in the rush of events; Dean apologized but promised he could get back to it and manage it fine, bringing up illustrations. (I.8.9)

Dean and Carlo have a completely unique way of interacting; Sal can only watch from afar.