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The Sea Is My Brother in 10 Minutes
Introduction
Wesley Martin
Bill Everhart
Angelique
A Chance Encounter
A Voyage to Boston
The S.S. Westminster
A Stormy Night
An Unlikely Friendship
A Moment of Crisis
A New Beginning
Reflections on the Sea
The Call of Adventure
A Tribute to Friendship
Lesson Details & Resources
In a Nutshell
- What: Novel by Jack Kerouac
- When: Written in the 1940s
- Who: Wesley Martin, Bill Everhart, and Wesley's brother
- Theme: Brotherhood, adventure, and self-discovery
List of Characters in The Sea Is My Brother
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Ray Smith
Ray Smith is a young man who sets out on a journey to discover himself and find meaning in his life.
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Bill Everhart
Bill Everhart is a close friend of Ray's who joins him on his adventures.
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Roland Major
Roland Major is a sailor who befriends Ray and Bill during their travels.
Timeline of The Sea Is My Brother
A group of friends gather at a bar in New York City.
Ray Smith, the protagonist, decides to leave the city and hitchhike to Boston.
Ray meets a fellow hitchhiker named Bill Everhart and they decide to travel together.
Ray and Bill hitchhike to Boston and meet up with their friend George, who is a merchant seaman.
Ray, Bill, and George decide to stow away on a ship bound for Greenland.
The trio successfully stow away on the ship and begin their journey.
Ray becomes seasick during the voyage.
Ray and his friends spend their days working on the ship and their nights drinking and socializing with the crew.
Ray starts to develop a romantic relationship with a woman named Claire.
The ship arrives in Greenland and the crew goes ashore for a day.
Ray and his friends experience the harsh living conditions and isolation in Greenland.
Ray and his friends decide to leave the ship and travel to Oslo, Norway.
The trio hitchhikes to Oslo and spends time exploring the city.
Ray and his friends eventually decide to part ways and go their separate paths.
Ray meets a woman named Joan and they begin a romantic relationship.
Ray and Joan spend time together in Oslo before Ray decides to continue his journey alone.
Ray hitchhikes back to New York City and reunites with his friends at the bar where the story began.
Vocabulary List
- Wharf
- The protagonist of the novel works at a wharf in Boston.
- Sailors
- The story follows a group of sailors who embark on a journey together.
- Voyage
- The characters set out on a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.
- Seafaring
- The novel explores the seafaring lifestyle of the characters.
- Shipmates
- The protagonist forms strong bonds with his shipmates during their journey.
- Ocean
- The characters encounter various challenges while navigating the vast ocean.
- Port
- The sailors make stops at different ports along their journey.
- Fishermen
- The characters interact with local fishermen during their travels.
- Navigation
- The sailors rely on their navigation skills to reach their destination.
- Storm
- The characters face a fierce storm while at sea.
Key Facts
This is the information used in the fact matching game
- - The Sea Is My Brother is Jack Kerouac's first novel.
- - The novel was written in 1942 but remained unpublished until 2011.
- - It is a semi-autobiographical work inspired by Kerouac's experiences as a merchant seaman.
- - The story follows the adventures of two seamen, Wesley Martin and Bill Everhart.
- - Kerouac himself served in the merchant marine during World War II.
- - The novel explores themes of friendship, self-discovery, and the pursuit of freedom.
- - Kerouac wrote The Sea Is My Brother while living in New York City.
- - The manuscript was discovered by Kerouac's brother after his death.
- - The novel is written in a stream-of-consciousness style, characteristic of Kerouac's later works.
- - The Sea Is My Brother showcases Kerouac's early experimentation with language and form.
- - The protagonist, Wesley Martin, is a young writer trying to find his place in the world.
- - The story takes place on a journey from New York to Greenland and back.
- - Kerouac's own experiences as a seaman heavily influenced the events and characters in the novel.
- - The Sea Is My Brother explores the contrast between the freedom of the sea and the constraints of society.
- - The novel delves into the camaraderie and conflicts among the crew members on the ship.
- - Kerouac's vivid descriptions of life at sea provide a glimpse into the maritime world of the 1940s.
- - The Sea Is My Brother reflects Kerouac's fascination with exploration and the unknown.
- - The novel incorporates elements of Kerouac's Buddhist beliefs and spiritual ideas.
- - The publication of The Sea Is My Brother shed light on Kerouac's early development as a writer.
- - The novel serves as a precursor to Kerouac's later works, such as On the Road.
Analysis & Significance
Impact on Literature
Jack Kerouac’s ‘The Sea Is My Brother’ is a seminal work in the Beat Generation literary movement, showcasing his raw and spontaneous writing style that would later influence a generation of writers. This early novel set the tone for Kerouac’s later works, such as ‘On the Road’, and introduced readers to his unique voice and perspective on life.
Enduring Themes
The themes of wanderlust, self-discovery, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world are prevalent throughout ‘The Sea Is My Brother’, making it a timeless piece of literature that still resonates with modern audiences. Kerouac’s exploration of friendship, freedom, and the pursuit of the unknown are themes that continue to captivate readers today.
Cultural Significance Today
Although ‘The Sea Is My Brother’ was not widely known during Kerouac’s lifetime, its publication in 2011 brought new attention to this early work and solidified its place in literary history. The novel’s themes and characters have been referenced in popular culture, and its influence can be seen in contemporary works that explore similar themes of rebellion, nonconformity, and the search for authenticity.
The Sea Is My Brother Games
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