Frank Bascombe has long been a figure ensnared by the shadows of his sorrowful past, hesitant to embrace the promise of what lies ahead. Yet, as the novel concludes, there emerges a stunning transformation—he appears to have truly liberated himself from the chains of his history. Frank and Ann once made ritualistic pilgrimages to their son Ralph's grave, nestled in a cemetery not far from Frank’s former residence. This graveyard, intriguingly, is the resting place of three original signers of the Declaration of Independence and on holidays, it proudly waves American flags. It was a symbol, a weight that anchored Frank to a stagnant existence.

As the narrative reaches its climax, Frank, enveloped in a "mood of transition and progress," makes a definitive choice; he resolves not to be interred beside his son. Instead, he pledges to be laid to rest as distant from Haddam as sensibly possible. In this act, he acknowledges how Ralph’s grave, among other formidable anchors, has paralyzed him. By the novel's closing, Frank appears to have unbound himself from the fetters of the past, embracing the daring voyage of commitment and discovering a newfound freedom.