The Dharma Bums: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Dharma Bums" is a novel that explores the lives of its major characters as they navigate their spiritual and existential journeys against the backdrop of 1950s American society. The protagonist, Raymond (Ray) Smith, serves as the first-person narrator and embodies the struggle of a seeker transitioning from Catholicism to Buddhism. Disillusioned by societal hypocrisy and materialism, Ray retreats into nature for meditation but ultimately grapples with reintegrating into urban life. Japhy Ryder, Ray's mentor and a depiction of poet Gary Snyder, contrasts Ray's struggles by successfully balancing meditation and everyday life, teaching Ray to appreciate both the spiritual and physical worlds.
Other significant characters include Alvah Goldbook, a pragmatic poet who provides a grounded perspective against Ray's philosophical musings, and Cody Pomeray, an old friend who represents the darker realities of life and loss, prompting Ray's reflections on unhappiness. Sean Monahan, another friend, exemplifies the possibility of living a balanced life of enlightenment, seamlessly integrating his spiritual practices with family life. Through these characters, "The Dharma Bums" delves into themes of spiritual exploration, the challenges of modern existence, and the search for meaning amidst chaos.
The Dharma Bums: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Jack Kerouac
First published: 1958
Genre: Novel
Locale: California, North Carolina, and the Washington Cascades
Plot: Autobiographical
Time: 1955–1956
Raymond (Ray) Smith, the first-person narrator, a wanderer based on the author. Ray is an intellectual who has turned from the Catholicism of his youth to Buddhism in his search for the ultimate truth of existence. He is disgusted with the shallowness and hypocrisy of American civilization in the 1950's. In fact, his major problem is that he cannot live or get along in the world as it is and must retreat periodically from it. He is able to practice meditation successfully on mountain-tops, in forests, and in deserts, but when he comes back to civilization, he feels that he is back in “hell” again. Gradually, through his meditation and conversations with friends, especially Japhy Ryder, his spiritual mentor, he comes to realize the Buddhist wisdom of the emptiness and consequent unity of all things and determines to try and live successfully within the dust and commotion of the city.
Japhy Ryder, an outdoorsman, Buddhist, scholar, and poet who becomes Smith's friend and mentor. He is based on Gary Snyder. Like Ray, Japhy recognizes the crass materialism and hypocrisy of American life in the 1950's, but he is able to cope successfully with it and live in the real world. Unlike Ray, who must meditate with his eyes closed, he can meditate with his eyes open and can meditate in a crowded bar as well as on a mountaintop. Japhy participates fully in life and tries to introduce Ray to various aspects of living in the world. He introduces Ray to his many friends and takes him along on two mountain-climbing trips, on which he teaches Ray about his own philosophy. Japhy leaves for Japan on a study scholarship but first arranges for Ray to spend the summer alone on a mountaintop as a fire lookout. He hopes Ray will attain enlightenment while on that job.
Alvah Goldbook, a poet and a friend of Ray, with whom he shares a cottage in Berkeley. Although he agrees with Raymond's and Japhy's pessimistic views of American society, he is not as much of a believer in Buddhism as they are. He serves as a more prosaic, down-to-earth counter to Ray's occasional excesses of esoteric Buddhist philosophy about the nonreality of all things. Alvah is far too busy enjoying life and finding beauty where he might to worry about the reality or nonreality of material objects. His idea is not to be concerned with the ultimate meaning of existence and just take life as it comes.
Cody Pomeray, an old friend of Smith, based on Neal Cassady. Cody is the most important character other than the autobiographical narrator in most of the author's fiction. He functions as a combination lost-brother figure and idolized friend. In this novel, Cody has a peripheral role, appearing briefly as a reminder to Ray that bad things are happening constantly and people need to be enlightened. Cody's girlfriend commits suicide and gives Ray cause to reflect on the unhappiness he sees around him.
Sean Monahan, an old friend of Japhy. Sean is the primary example in the book of what it would be like to have the enlightenment of Japhy and live a normal married life. Sean, the only married friend of Japhy and Ray, lives with his wife and two children in a rustic cottage in Marin County. He not only practices Buddhist meditation and reads sutras but also goes off during the day to work as a carpenter. His wife stays at home, walking around barefooted, baking bread, cooking simple but delicious meals, and being a mother to two chil- dren. His house is the gathering place for those interested in Buddhism or alternative lifestyles.