Part 2: Chapter 1 Summary and Analysis

As the day for departing approaches to begin his three-month trip across the United States, Steinbeck goes through a period of doubt. He thinks something will probably happen to delay or cancel the trip. He also wonders why he would want to leave his comfortable home and loving wife for the desolation he expects to feel while on the road. An unspoken but understood motivation is that the author is growing older. He may not have another shot at this kind of adventure again.

After an illness the year before, the doctors warn him to slow down, watch his diet, stop drinking so much—all of which Steinbeck ignores as the canned advice from the medical community, a routine given to all aging men. He suspects this is meant to turn men into dependents in order to stretch...