Dean Moriarty

E70047

Dean Moriarty is a wild, charismatic drifter and free spirit in Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road," inspired by the real-life figure Neal Cassady.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Dean Moriarty in On the Road (2012 film) 1

Statements (42)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictional character
literary character
adaptationAppearance film adaptations of On the Road
alsoKnownAs Dean
Dean Moriarity (variant spelling in some editions)
appearsIn On the Road
associatedWithTheme jazz culture
nonconformity
postwar American counterculture
restlessness
road trip
search for freedom
spontaneity
basedOn Neal Cassady
characterTrait charismatic
wild
characterType drifter
free spirit
creator Jack Kerouac
culturalImpact influential figure in American road narrative
firstPublicationContext On the Road
surface form: On the Road (1957 novel)
genre Beat literature
inspiredBy Neal Cassady
languageOfWork English
literarySignificance iconic figure of the Beat Generation
medium novel
movement Beat Generation
narrativeFunction catalyst for Sal Paradise’s journeys
nationalityInFiction American
portrayedAs energetic
reckless
sexually promiscuous
unreliable
relationship husband of Camille (in the novel)
husband of Marylou (in the novel)
travel companion of Sal Paradise
roleInWork central character in On the Road
friend of Sal Paradise
settingContext United States of America
surface form: United States
settingPeriod post–World War II era
symbolizes American wanderer archetype
pursuit of experience over stability

Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Carlo Marx closeFriendOf Dean Moriarty
Sal Paradise closeFriendOf Dean Moriarty
Old Bull Lee closeToCharacter Dean Moriarty
On the Road followsCharacter Dean Moriarty
Neal Cassady inspiredCharacter Dean Moriarty
On the Road majorCharacter Dean Moriarty
Garrett Hedlund playedCharacter Dean Moriarty
this entity surface form: Dean Moriarty in On the Road (2012 film)
Sal Paradise travelCompanionOf Dean Moriarty