THE SPIRITUAL AWAKENING JOURNEY IN A POST-SECULAR SOCIETY: COMPARING JACK KEROUAC’S ON THE ROAD (1957) AND DOAN MINH PHUONG’S AND WHEN ALL IS DUST (2006)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1067.2026-0025Keywords:
Post-secular, metaphysical perception, archetypal journey, Jack Kerouac, Doan Minh PhuongAbstract
This study compares the archetypal journey in On the Road by Jack Kerouac and And When All is Dust by Doan Minh Phuong, analyzing the spiritual awakening process of individuals in the context of post-secular social context. It highlights the crisis of personal identity as a central issue in the journey archetype through cross-cultural and metaphysical experiences. Therefore, the study conceptualizes life as a process of spiritual transition, in which the decline of orthodox forms of spirituality opens space for post-secular forms of spirituality amid the rise of hybridized East-West discourses. In contrast to the secular society, which tries to divide and weaken the role of “spirituality”, this research explores the relationship between metaphysical awareness and self-reflection of personal identity in a post-secular society, where spirituality is no longer isolated but becomes a powerful force that shapes and directs both individual and community identities.
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