On the Road Sadness Quotes

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

Quote #19

My aunt - a respectable woman hung-up in this sad world, and well she knew the world. She told us about the cop. "He was hiding behind the tree, trying to see what I looked like. I told him - I told him to search the car if he wanted. I’ve nothing to be ashamed of." She knew Dean had something to be ashamed of, and me too, by virtue of my being with Dean, and Dean and I accepted this sadly. (II.3.13).

While there is something tender in the relationship between Dean and Sal, Sal also identifies a sadness. Necessarily, in his taking responsibility for Dean, Sal is burdened and laden with the guilt of his friend’s – his brother’s – actions.

Quote #20

Dean was having his kicks; he put on a jazz record, grabbed Marylou, held her tight, and bounced against her with the beat of the music. She bounced right back. It was a real love dance. Ian MacArthur came in with a huge gang. The New Year’s weekend began, and lasted three days and three nights. Great gangs got in the Hudson and swerved in the snowy New York streets from party to party. I brought Lucille and her sister to the biggest party. When Lucille saw me with Dean and Marylou her face darkened - she sensed the madness they put in me.

"I don’t like you when you’re with them."

"Ah, it’s all right, it’s just kicks. We only live once. We’re having a good time."

"No, it’s sad and I don’t like it." (II.4.10-II.4.13)

Sal’s girlfriend, Lucille, also identifies the sadness in Sal’s friendship with Dean. The extreme highs of their emotions, it seems, come with this price tag.

Quote #21

"See? See? See?" cackled Dean, poking my ribs. "I told you it was kicks. Everybody’s kicks, man!" We carried Solomon all the way to Testament. My brother by now was in his new house on the other side of town. Here we were back on the long, bleak street with the railroad track running down the middle and the sad, sullen Southerners loping in front of hardware stores and five-and-tens. (II.6.11)

Sal sees sadness in any strangers he sees from a distance because of their isolation from one another.