Part Four/Five, Chapter 6 & Conclusion: Summary

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As they leave Gregoria, Dean's headlights stop working, and they are left to navigate a forest road in the dark. They can hear millions of squeaking insects outside the automobile. They turn on their headlights again as they near the forest settlement of Limon. They find a place to pull over on the outskirts of town, and everyone gets out of the car because they are so tired they had to sleep right then and there.

Dean huddles on the dusty road, Stan dozes off in the car, and Sal spreads out on the roof in the hopes that the metal may provide some relief from the heat. Sal suddenly spots the bugs crawling all over him. According to what he is saying, "the jungle takes you over and you become it." When he makes his rounds, a police officer stops by the vehicle. As he observes the three men resting, he decides not to disturb them. Sal does not understand why cops in the US are not as friendly. The dense air, which he describes as "the living emanation of trees and swamp," prevents him from falling asleep again. While Dean is dozing off in the mud, a white horse trots by.

They leave at first light, trying to get away from the oppressive humidity. Huge bugs swarm all around them when they pull over for gas. Sal is frightened and runs to the safety of the car, but Stan and Dean, despite being covered in bug guts and blood, do not seem to mind in the least.

They set out once more, traveling five thousand feet into the highlands until they reach the Moctezuma River. They pause to take in the magnificent peaks of the mountains that surround them. Next, they approach a young Indian girl who is timidly waiting by the road. The fact that her existence is so drastically different from his own has left Dean in awe of her. He tries to put himself in her shoes and consider what her view of the world must be like after having spent her entire life in this mountainous wilderness.

When the automobile continues down the same road, a group of Indian women gather around it to try to sell them crystals. Their childlike curiosity and wonderment astound Sal and Dean. Dean gives them a vintage timepiece in return for a flawless little crystal. With smiles and gratitude, the girls run after the car as it drives away. Both Sal and Dean are deeply affected by it.

They continue on their way, making their way through the thick jungle and many Indians begging on the road. Even if Sal's society is "sad and poor broken delusion," he assumes the Indians must believe it has something to offer them. The Indians had no idea about the existence of modern nuclear weapons, which have the potential to wipe out all life on Earth.

They emerge from the forest and drive up to a plateau, where they discover a bright meadow with shepherds tending flocks of sheep, a vision that makes Sal and Dean think they are in a world straight out of the Bible. After driving down from the mountains, they find themselves in the middle of Mexico City amidst an overwhelming crush of people and vehicles. It is a complete free-for-all as cars race in every direction at high speeds.

Hipsters in floppy straw hats, beggars, prostitutes, open sewers, burlesque shows, and peddlers of all types line the streets as they drive through downtown Mexico City. Sal says, "Everywhere in Mexico was just one big Bohemian camp." They...

(This entire section contains 1168 words.)

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leave Dean's car parked and explore the neighborhood, taking in the sights and sounds till daybreak.

Soon after they arrive, Sal is struck down with dysentery. For several days, he is delirious and confused. Dean informs him he is leaving when he comes to, still confused. He has finally ended his marriage to Camille and plans to move back in with Inez in New York. Stan plans to remain in the house to assist Sal. Sal feels heartbroken but unable to change the situation. Sal learns that Dean is a "rat" for abandoning him, but he still loves Dean and accepts him despite his bizarre and complicated lifestyle.

Sal informs us that Dean drove back through the forest to New York City. He got off the bus in Manhattan, wed Inez, and then boarded another bus to San Francisco to visit Camille and their two daughters. To quote Sal: "Dean was married three times, divorced twice, and currently residing with his second wife."

Sal goes back home to the US. An elderly white-haired man instructs him to "Go moan for man" one hot Texas night. Sal returns to New York, where he meets the love of his life, Laura, by happenstance one night. He is moving in with her and the two of them are going to San Francisco.

Sal updates Dean on the situation through letter. Dean responds by writing that he will be in New York in six weeks to assist Sal with purchasing a vehicle. Then they may all pile into a car and head for the west. All of their preparations are thrown off, however, when Dean unexpectedly appears in New York in under a week. Dean, in a halting, rambling speech, reveals that he came to New York just to see Sal. He makes an effort to reconcile with Inez, but she rejects him. Camille has written to express that she is waiting for Dean's return because she loves him. Sal feels relieved that Camille still cares for him.

Sal would like to set up a meeting between Dean and Remi Boncoeur while he is in New York. But, Remi has decided that he no longer want to interact with any of Sal's odd friends. Remi plans to take his girlfriend to a Duke Ellington concert, and he has invited his friends Sal and Laura to join them. Dean will be departing that very evening to return to San Francisco. Sal has asked to ride with him to Penn Station in Remi's automobile, but Remi refuses. Sal, looking back at Dean braving the cold, drives off to the concert with the rest of them.

As a result of his guilt at abandoning Dean, Sal is unable to enjoy the show. He mentally travels three thousand miles back across "that awful land" on the train. Sal and Dean's paths never cross again, but he often thinks about Dean when he is sitting on the New York piers and looking west across the Hudson. He thinks about all the people who live on the continent between New York and California and how far it is from the Pacific Ocean. "The children must be crying in the land," he thinks to himself. He tells us, “Nobody knows what's going to happen to anybody besides the forlorn rags of growing old.” And then he remembers Dean Moriarty and the old guy they never did find, Dean's father.

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Part Four, Chapters 4-6: Summary

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