Part Two, Chapters 4-6: Summary
On New Year's Eve, Sal and Dean rest throughout the day at Sal's aunt's residence. Once they awaken, Ed shares his previous New Year's Eve experience, during which he was by himself, experiencing visions of his deceased mother. This year, however, they plan to attend a party in New York, so they make their way to Manhattan. While traveling through the Lincoln Tunnel, Sal remembers a dream involving an Arabian character chasing him across a desert. He believes the dream signifies that death is relentlessly chasing everyone, ultimately catching up to us before we reach the afterlife.
Upon arriving at Tom Saybrook's apartment for a party, Sal introduces Lucille to his friends. However, Lucille becomes suspicious of Dean, Ed, and Marylou, sensing the negative influence they have on Sal. Sal quickly realizes that his relationship with Lucille is on the rocks. When Marylou attempts to seduce Sal, Lucille becomes extremely jealous. Soon after, Sal's friend Damion arrives, who is like the Dean of his New York friends. Damion and Dean do not get along. They hop from party to party until they finally end up at Rollo Greb's house in Long Island.
Rollo resides in a spacious home with his aunt, who despises all of his companions. Sal portrays Rollo as an eccentric intellectual who constantly reads and has a pair of libraries in his residence. Dean is thrilled by Rollo and encourages Sal to emulate him; otherwise, Dean believes, Sal will never truly understand.
Sal and Dean go to a George Shearing concert, where Dean is utterly mesmerized by the show. After smoking cannabis, Sal experiences an epiphany and shares his thoughts: "I felt as though everything was on the verge of becoming clear—the instant when complete understanding is reached and all decisions are made for eternity."
Sal's aunt warns him that spending time with Dean is a waste, but Sal is determined to go back to California with him. Carlo advises both Sal and Dean to seek meaning in their lives. Ed Dunkel is willing to follow Dean anywhere, yet he confides in Sal that he feels like a ghost strolling down the pavement.
Dean suggests to Sal at Ritzey's Bar, a place frequented by gangsters in Manhattan, if he would like to have sexual relations with Marylou. Sal speculates that Dean wants to witness how Marylou behaves with other men. Although Sal finds the idea interesting, he decides not to pursue it. Sal explains that Dean tends to take extreme actions in his life because of his deprived years in reform school and prison. Sal expresses that he does not want to disrupt Dean's choices and instead desires to simply "follow" him.
Sal contacts Old Bull Lee in New Orleans, who insists that Ed should come and relieve him of Galatea's presence. Sal, Dean, Ed, and Marylou agree to travel to New Orleans before heading to California. Excited to be on the road again, they are captivated by the unadulterated essence of their journey. As they pass through Washington on Inauguration Day, President Truman is inaugurated for his second term. However, just outside the city, they are stopped for speeding and taken to the police station. The officers appear distrustful of Dean, who ends up paying a $25 fine, leaving only $15 for the remainder of their adventure. Dean is infuriated with the police and contemplates exacting revenge.
They encounter a vagrant called Hyman Solomon, who proposes to earn money for them once they reach a city. Upon arriving in Testament, Virginia, where Sal's sibling resides, Solomon departs to gather funds. Dean waits for some time, but...
(This entire section contains 790 words.)
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Solomon doesn't return, so they leave without him. Continuing their journey, they successfully siphon a full tank of gas from a station while the attendant is sound asleep. As they proceed, Dean animatedly shares stories from his childhood adventures.
Upon arriving in New Orleans, Dean is brimming with enthusiasm. They locate Old Bull Lee's residence and reconnect with both Bull and his spouse, Jane. Ed and Galatea make amends. Sal observes that Bull primarily remains seated in a dimly lit corner. Bull's considerable funds are largely allocated to a costly drug addiction. Sal recounts Bull's peculiar conduct, as well as his deep bond with Jane. He shares tales of Bull's adventurous existence and the perilous journeys he undertook across the globe. Sal, Dean, and their companions relish the hours spent at Bull's feet, engrossed in his insights about life.
Bull leads them on a journey through the uninteresting taverns of New Orleans. He confides in Sal that he believes Dean's madness has intensified since their previous encounter. Afterward, they go back to Bull's residence and indulge in a variety of narcotics, while Bull vehemently criticizes government red tape and labor unions.