Chapter 21 Summary

The twenty-first chapter follows Kerouac through the end of the big weekend of friends and into the beginning of his decline. He describes the incredible wind that has cleared the clouds from the place that hid the stars from him during his solitary time there and suggests that the constancy and force of the wind could have been part of what frayed him to the end of his calm. The morning following his all-night talking with Arthur Ma, the group has a wood chopping contest, and Kerouac surmises that a lot can be learned about a person based on how he chops. Monsanto is methodical and precise, while Cody is all force and spectacle, making Kerouac think he is more like Cody.

After the morning fire, the group sets out for the hot springs, and sees floating in the water the body of...