Dharma bums 2

"Japhy Ryder is a great new hero of American culture"
page 32

This is declared by Alvah after he and Jay are discussing Japhy's accomplishments and lifestyle. They recount his knowledge of poetry, oriental languages and women to determine he is heroic. This is odd because I would consider Japhy Ryder to be a counterculturalist. However, Alvah says he is a hero of American culture. This does not make sense because Japhy does not mainstream in that he is a religious wanderer who lives a life which is almost "back to nature".

"colleges being nothing but grooming schools for the middleclass non-identity which usually finds its perfect expression on the outskirts of the campus in rows of well-to-do houses."
page 39

The quote comes when Ray points out that he and Japhy look misplaced on a college campus. This is because of their old clothes and the life they lead that is so opposite from middle class men with desk jobs. It is interesting that Ray makes the point that colleges are a "breeding ground" for people to go out and live in cookie cutter houses because that is what we have been talking about in class. Ray takes it a step before the people settling down and how people's education leads them into a life of normalcy.