Hello fellow Scholars (and Stewsessors),
So... Chapter Two. Are you still with us? Good! Want to come along for the ride? Excellent! Hop in the car and read with us here.
Chapter summary:
Our narrator is invited on an adventure of a lifetime by a college friend. He is excited and has dreams of the greatest grandeur. Ill prepared (in every way) and hopeful, he sets out on, what he thinks, is the perfect route.
Through inclement weather and the advice of strangers with whom he hitches a ride, he realizes that he may need to change his plans. A bit. Still hopeful that if he reaches Chicago everything will be ok, he curses his own stupidity and hops on a bus bound for the Windy City.
Breaking it down - an excerpt:
Lorabell: agreed, he has such "stars" in his eyes almost
grass is greener, etc
LettieLou: I love how he takes his tone from so hopeful with this grand plan and his piddly $50... to "just get me to Chicago. I don't care"
Lorabell: but that just demonstrates his continued lack of reality
just blow off most of his only savings after one day of set-backs because you were unprepared?
dude, it's a wonder you survive at that rate
LettieLou: Seriously... just you wait...
Lorabell: no spoilers!
LettieLou: I get frustrated with him... (NONE I SWEAR!)
Lorabell: frustrated?
LettieLou: Yes, like... "Don't blow your money now!"
Lorabell: oh totally
LettieLou: "What are you thinking with those shoes?"
I'm too practical
Lorabell: hahaha
but if you're setting off into the great unknown you need to be fucking practical
just because Dean and Carlo are apparently having a great time
*cough*bullshit*cough*
So... Chapter Two. Are you still with us? Good! Want to come along for the ride? Excellent! Hop in the car and read with us here.
Chapter summary:
Our narrator is invited on an adventure of a lifetime by a college friend. He is excited and has dreams of the greatest grandeur. Ill prepared (in every way) and hopeful, he sets out on, what he thinks, is the perfect route.
Through inclement weather and the advice of strangers with whom he hitches a ride, he realizes that he may need to change his plans. A bit. Still hopeful that if he reaches Chicago everything will be ok, he curses his own stupidity and hops on a bus bound for the Windy City.
Breaking it down - an excerpt:
Lorabell: agreed, he has such "stars" in his eyes almost
grass is greener, etc
LettieLou: I love how he takes his tone from so hopeful with this grand plan and his piddly $50... to "just get me to Chicago. I don't care"
Lorabell: but that just demonstrates his continued lack of reality
just blow off most of his only savings after one day of set-backs because you were unprepared?
dude, it's a wonder you survive at that rate
LettieLou: Seriously... just you wait...
Lorabell: no spoilers!
LettieLou: I get frustrated with him... (NONE I SWEAR!)
Lorabell: frustrated?
LettieLou: Yes, like... "Don't blow your money now!"
Lorabell: oh totally
LettieLou: "What are you thinking with those shoes?"
I'm too practical
Lorabell: hahaha
but if you're setting off into the great unknown you need to be fucking practical
just because Dean and Carlo are apparently having a great time
*cough*bullshit*cough*
Neal Cassady (left) and Jack Kerouac (right)
Chatting it up - the complete conversation:
LettieLou: And so...
On the Road
Part One, Chapter 2
Lorabell: Chapter 2
One word: short
lol
LettieLou: Yes...
He was preoccupied, I guess.
Lorabell: True - with all those ups and downs of not getting very far, I wouldn't be overly verbose either
all his big ideas seem very different in the cold light of reality
LettieLou: I think the shortness is intentional...
Two words.
Reality Check
Lorabell: ha
Totally
he suddenly feels very small on that big ol' highway
and it's interesting that his sentences reflect that i think
shorter
more to the point
down in tone
LettieLou: Agree.
The chapter cuts off even...
LOL. Sort of comical
Lorabell: interesting, I hadn't noted that
LettieLou: He's given up on the grandeur at this point. He just wants to get to Chicago.
Lorabell: but yeah, it's almost like he's drawing a line under the day
cut it short, moving on
LettieLou: Yep
Let's forget this shit. LOL!
(I think he's thinking that)
Lorabell: indeed
San Fransisco's golden sun seems very far away under that rainy gas station shelter
and so unprepared
the shoes
LettieLou: I know!
Lorabell: he really did have his head in the clouds
LettieLou: Page 10: "I began crying and swearing and socking myself on the head for being such a damn fool."
He goes down hill from this point.
He seems most upset at what he THINKS he's missing...
i.e. what Dean and Carlo are up to
Lorabell: and such a strong reaction to such an early set back
exactly - everythings better away from where he is
LettieLou: BINGO! That totally picks up from the theme of the first conversation.
Lorabell: of our first conversation?
LettieLou: yes
Lorabell: agreed, he has such "stars" in his eyes almost
grass is greener, etc
LettieLou: I love how he takes his tone from so hopeful with this grand plan and his piddly $50... to "just get me to Chicago. I don't care"
Lorabell: but that just demonstrates his continued lack of reality
just blow off most of his only savings after one day of set-backs because you were unprepared?
dude, it's a wonder you survive at that rate
LettieLou: Seriously... just you wait...
Lorabell: no spoilers!
LettieLou: I get frustrated with him... (NONE I SWEAR!)
Lorabell: frustrated?
LettieLou: Yes, like... "Don't blow your money now!"
Lorabell: oh totally
LettieLou: "What are you thinking with those shoes?"
I'm too practical
Lorabell: hahaha
but if you're setting off into the great unknown you need to be fucking practical
just because Dean and Carlo are apparently having a great time
*cough*bullshit*cough*
LettieLou: Oh but LB! He'd been "pouring over maps of the US for months"
He can't stand to think that he's missing something!
Lorabell: then he should have realized that taking one road the whole way was never going to happen
of course he's going to tangent
LettieLou: Grandeur...
Lorabell: things never plan out how you think
LettieLou: LOL!
Lorabell: he's been sitting and looking at maps and dreaming
not planning
LettieLou: exactly. but he's a young and (practically speaking) stupid.
Lorabell: well he just got a short, sharp wake up call
LettieLou: yes
and it was entertaining
to read about
haha
Lorabell: lol, i feel bad for him
LettieLou: Can't you just picture him?
Lorabell: but also feel all mother hen like "what are you THINKING?"
totally
all cold and wet and frustrated
silly boy
LettieLou: pouring rain under the eaves
huddled and freezing
Lorabell: it'd make for an interesting movie scene though
LettieLou: Oh yes...
Lorabell: like if you imagine the first chapter as the intro
then credits
then him all sad in the rain
LettieLou: cut to Sam standing in the rain?
Lorabell: lol, it's kinda funny
Lorabell: exactly
collar up, feeling stupid
LettieLou: like how i used a technical term there? LOL!
yes.
he's got a dopey face. perfect for Sal
Lorabell: ha
hair dripping
blue tint
compared to a warm yellow back in buzzy NY with Dean
LettieLou: PERFECTO!
Lorabell: and his imaginings of San Fran
LettieLou: Speaking of... I have a great song
Lorabell: oooh, go for great song
LettieLou: "California" by Joni Mitchell
Lorabell: ooooooooooh
(sadly I'm trying to not let the OC drown her out in my head - damn my 90's youth)
LettieLou: SO FUNNY
LOL!
Lorabell: but I looove Joni
"just a dream some of us had"
LettieLou: YES!!!!
I knew we were friends for a reason
Lorabell: Ha
on another note... i noticed how he continued with his use of "madness"
LettieLou: The madness theme, though. I noticed that too!
Lorabell: but he kept up with his "mad" terminology when briefly mentioning Remi
but also his "maniac" self when the car pulls up to the gas station
LettieLou: He says he loves madness...
He's getting plenty of it
LOL!
Lorabell: at his own fault
LettieLou: Totally
Lorabell: but, even though he's so over this chapter, he must secretly like it
LettieLou: Because we're analyzing it...
Lorabell: it IS mad and he IS experiencing
ha
but even as a person
to put yourself in those shoes
(poorly prepped shoes)
at the time, it suuucks so hard
but in retrospect, you have a sense of humour about it
it's a great story
LettieLou: Agreed! Here! Here!
Lorabell: "so I set off on my big adventure and end up in Yonkers with wet feet"
LettieLou: It is comical to think that he ended the chapter exactly where he started it.
I think he intended laughter
Lorabell: LOL
after so short a time too
I wonder what will happen next
LettieLou: NO SPOILERS! Heehee
Lorabell: Me???
LettieLou: Never!
Lorabell: Nooooooo
snort
LettieLou: Well...
short
but SOLID second effort
Lorabell: nod
*HIGH FIVE*
***
Thanks for reading along with us! Please feel free to like our FaceBook page and follow us on Twitter @KristensLit.
As always, join in on the conversation, listen to our On The Road inspired playlist and watch this space for LB's deelish recipe...
With Kerouac (in Spirit),
LettieLou
I loved this idea. Really original! thank you for this :)
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for 3° chapter !
@Anon SOOO stoked you like! Please do read along and join on in :D
ReplyDelete