Summary

Chapter 20 begins multiple years following Asa’s death. Håkan continued to live alone in the cañons, although he eventually left in search of more hospitable terrain. Nonetheless, he was unable to return to society without likely being recognized and arrested. Håkan abandoned all hope of ever seeing Linus again. Håkan has continued to grow in size, and he has lived for years without seeing anyone else. He has filled his days with the monotonous exigencies of his daily life in the wilderness. The monotony is interrupted only by various more dramatic incidents, such as injuries and damages to his various forms of shelter. In Chapter 21, a group of several men happen to find Håkan’s shelter. Three of them are shelters; Håkan does not recognize their uniforms, but it is apparent in the narrative that they are...