Comparative commentary: Flann O'Brien's novel "The Third Policeman" and "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac

The texts in question are in a way very alike; they are both extracts from fictional novels and they were both written in the mid-twentieth century. Text B is an extract from Flann O'Brien's novel "The Third Policeman", and it deals with an old country road and ponders the role of different kinds of roads and where they might lead. The text is probably meant for adults, because it is quite philosophical, something teenagers might …

…life safe from everyone and everything else. This view is further emphasised in the final, short paragraph: "I felt sure I was not going against the road. It was, so to speak, accompanying me." The tone of both texts is casual, and it is easy to relate to them. Their target audiences are different, but it is fairly easy to distinguish the features used to appeal to the readers; adjectives, clear pictures and different lifestyles.