On the Road- Question 4

4. Consider both novels. What do you notice about the treatment of women? The characterization of women? Or the omission of women? What might it suggest or signify in either novel?

This post is going to be more directed to "On the Road" more than "The Road" because that is the book that is fresh on my mind.

From what I can remember from The Road, it seemed like women we're treated mostly as equals. I can't remember a time where the mistreatment of women was something that stuck out at me. However, in On the Road, there was a lot more attention paid to that subject. Many times it seemed that women were portrayed as objects, especially in Dean's life where he continued to marry, divorce, remarry, and continue the relationships with females from his past. I'm not really saying that they're treated poorly though either. Camille sticks up for herself and fights back when she and Dean get into physical fights. However, it does seem like a lot of women are portrayed as somewhat, though I hate to say it, bitchy. Lee Ann is often described as bad or "sharp-tongued" and we hear a lot about the fights the guys get into with their women. It probably signifies that these women don't like being left at home while their men go on these long cross-country journeys. It's hard to make a general statement about this because each couple has a different story and reasons for their fighting, (if they do at all. Some don't.)