"I know that. Its just that I love boxcars and I love to read the names on them like Missouri Pacific, Great Northern, Rock Island Line. By Gad, Major, if I could tell you everything that happened to me hitching here."
At this point in the novel, on page 41, Sal is speaking with Major, who has just told him about his trip to France and that there are "other things besides boxcars," insinuating that a planned trip is better than a hitchhikers trip. I think this is a significant moment in showing what makes a good roadtrip because it shows that it doesn't really matter where you're going or how you get there because the journey and your experiences are the most important part. Sal has already had so many experiences on his roadtrip to Denver, experiences that are too much too explain or that Major wouldn't appreciate anyway.
What do you think makes traveling the country without a plan and minimal money so intriguing to the characters in this book?
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While Sal's first objective was to get to Denver, he quickly grows tired of it and wants to go somewhere else. Then in this passage Sal is trying to tell Major that everything that has led up to him being there with him was his favorite part of the trip. Sal is saying that the best part is not getting to where your going but simply the trip getting there. Sal thinks the trip is worth more than the actual destination even though at first he has a plan.
ReplyDeleteDoes a trip have to have a purpose to be successful?