Jack Kerouac and the American Quest: A Historical Criticism of Kerouac's 'On the Road'. This paper discusses Jack Kerouac and the American Quest and the historical criticism of Kerouac's 'On the Road'. Jack Kerouac's breakthrough novel, "On the Road", widely regarded as the most uniquely American novel of its time, is a novel, which chronicles the changing tide of American culture during the late 40's and early 50's. Published in 1957, "On the Road" chronicles the travels of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarity, who serve as the fictional alter egos of two of the giants of the Beat generation - Kerouac himself, and Neal Cassady. For many readers since its publication, On the Road has come to symbolize and represent an entire generation of disaffected young Americans. Pages: 7 Bibliography: 6 source(s) listed Filename: 385 Jack American Quest.doc Price: 62.65