Road Narratives and Western Identity

E s s a y R e v i e w s R o a d N a r r a t i v e s a n d W e s t e r n I d e n t i t y N e i l C a m p b e l l “ Bu t n o m at t e r , t h e r o a d is life ,” Ja c k K e r o u a c w r o te in O n the R o ad (1 9 5 7 ), a n d it is t h is p o w e r fu l n o t io n t h a t lies b e h in d a gr o u p o f r e c e n t b o o k s t h a t e it h e r t r a v e l t h e r o ad s o f A m e r ic a o r c o m m e n t o n t h e ir r ic h cu lt u r a l sig n ific a n c e w it h in t h e A m e r ic a n p sy ch e (1 9 9 ). O f co u r se , t h e lite r at u r e o f t h e r o ad h a s a lo n g t r a d it io n in t h e E u r o p e a n “p ic a r e sq u e ,” as R o w la n d A . Sh e r r ill’s b o o k R oad - Book A m erica r e m in d s u s, a llo w in g a m u lt ip lic it y o f ge n r e s t o in t e r a c t a r o u n d n o t io n s o f m o v e m e n t , m ig r a t io n , a n d t r a v e l, b u t r o a d lit e r at u r e h a s b e c o m e a fo r m m o st o ft e n a sso c ia t e d w it h t h e U n it e d St a t e s a n d t h e W e st e sp ecially . In fict io n p ar t icu lar ly , t h e r e h a s b e e n a lin e o f la n d m a r k t e x t s e n c a p su la t in g t h e p o ssib ilit ie s o f t h e r o ad as a lo c u s fo r in it ia t io n , ad v e n t u r e , e d u c a t io n , a n d y e ar n in g, b u t in cr e a sin gly fict io n h a s fu se d w it h o t h e r ge n r e s su c h as t r a v e l w r itin g, m em o ir , h ist o r y , a n d a u t o b io gr a p h y in t h e c r e a t io n o f a “t r a n sg e n r e ” c r o ssin g b e t w e e n d iffe r e n t st y les o f w r it in g an d b lu r r in g ge n e r ic b o u n d ar ie s. T...