Part 3: Chapter 4 - 6 Summary and Analysis

The night turns windy with false threats of snow at the Maple River. Steinbeck considers leaving but decides to stay and see how the weather turns out. No snow comes, so he departs the next morning while the Shakespearean performer is still asleep in his small trailer.

Steinbeck feels that the river crossing at Bismark is the true demarcation between east and west. The eastern side of the river supports the familiar landscape that he has experienced through much of his journey. On the western side are the features most think about when envisioning the west—brown grass, rock outcroppings and dry creek beds. He heads into the Bad Lands. The desolation strikes him during the day, but at night he experiences the beauty of a sunset that brings out the colors of the rock layers...