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Among the critical responses to On The Road, the concept of "existential heroes" put forward in The Columbia History of the American Novel has inspired the author of this thesis. However, it is not fully explained in which ways the characters in On the Road are "existential heroes." This stagnation in the study on the novel ensures the necessity of this research.
Sartrean Existentialism is generally defined as a philosophy which emphasizes on personal existence, freedom and choice. It comprises two basic elements: "the world is absurd and Man is anguish ", "free choice" including “Escape from the inauthentic existence” and “Search authentic existence”.
This thesis intends to analyze the theme of On The Road from the Sartrean existentialism perspectives of “World is absurd”, “anguish,” “freedom of choice,” “transcendence,” etc. Through a close textual study, the author reads the journey of the "existential heroes" in On the Road as a road of searching for authentic existence.
1.2 Significance
In terms of the significance of this thesis, it lies mainly in the fact that it examines On The Road from a new perspective and offers a more closely interweaving analysis of the Beats in the novel based on existentialism, which is carried out in a more philosophical sense. Since it is not explained in which ways the characters in On the Road are "existential heroes." in some current researches, this thesis will give a comprehensive and thorough analysis for this topic, which helps further the research of On The Road.源^自·优尔|文\论]文'网[www.youerw.com
1.3 Framework
Besides Introduction and Conclusion, the thesis consists of two chapters.
Chapter One gives a summary of the previous study of the theme of On The Road，explains main ideas of Sartrean existentialism, presents how it is penetrated in the analysis of the theme of the novel and proves that On The Road can be read from this perspective.,
Chapter Two can be pided into two parts. Part one depicts the absurdity of the world and scrutinizes the anguish of existence caused by alienation. Part two is the core of the thesis. It discusses the third principle of Sartrean philosophy——“free choice”. It consists of two parts: Escape from the inauthentic existence which lies in social conformity and political repression; Searching for transcendence by means of returning to nature，high sensory experience and taking responsibility for their choices.
Through the above study, the thesis draws the conclusion that the existential heroes are thrown into the absurd existence and confront anguish, in which they can only employ “freedom of choice” to escape from inauthentic existence and search for authentic existence through returning to nature，high sensory experience and taking responsibility for their choices.
2. Theoretical Basis
2.1Previous study of the theme of On The Road
Traditionally, most critics focus on the theme of rebellion of On the Road. Carole Gottlieb Vopat argues," Kerouac's characters take to the road not to find life but to leave it all behind." (New York: Viking, 1979) John Tytell puts the significance of On the Road in the quintessence of "everything that is bad and horrible about this otherwise wonderful age we live in."(1979) Holmes similarly put the significance of On the Road in exposing that "the valueless abyss of modern life is unbearably."( New York Times Magazine 16 Nov, 1958). For its depiction of marginalized characters in this book, Kerouac is labeled as the "Hippie Homer" writing about a "disjointed segment of society acting out its own neurotic necessity," by Ann Charters (San Francisco: Straight Arrow, 1973)
In the late forties and earlier fifties，Existentialism, starting as a philosophical movement, soon spread over America and became an important part of modern literature. George Cotkin, the author of Existential America, in his research of existentialist influence on American literature, said: "Much of the best in American thought and culture for the last two hundred years has come from thinking existentially... Many intellectuals and artists of influence found their voice through existentialism. "1(2003)