Good Blonde essays

Good Blonde essays Good Blonde by Jack Kerouac shows the restless, idealistic youth fighting against the conformity of a bland society symbolized by the characters quests for an identity in a simple life as seen through their all out rush for freedom. In the 1950s when working a job from nine to five was considered success and the money you made was your level of success, there was a small group in society that went against the crowd. Their idea of success was having contentment with oneself no matter what career path was taken. They were the counter-culture of society known as the beat generation. The mainstream society is represented through the Uncle Nick described in the beginning. The Greek reminded me of my Uncle Nick...and wandered down the gray streets...in a gray suit, with a gray hat, gray face going to his various jobs. (Kerouac 145) Gray is a bland color used to symbolize boredom and in this case modesty and conservation. The Uncle represents all mainstream workers whose goals are determined by societys standards. The story gives a taste of what it is like having a dream to live without taking an active part in the workplace of society. This dream of the narrators is one that many people in the United States fought against and tried to oppress during the 1950s. The narrator in this story represents all the youths who desire freedom, solitude and simplicity for their own sake and not letting society press them into working and living for what so many Americans strived for, the American Dream. The narrator is a free-spirit who loves the outdoors and loves the simple life. He works every now and then, but never seems to hold a steady job. His life is very sporadic doing only what he wants to do. His life-source and refuge is the city of San Francisco where he longed to live, party and listen to jazz music. San Francisco, during the movement of the beat genera...