Chapter 30 Summary

Ben Fagan visits in this chapter, and insists on getting Kerouac out of the chair he has been in for so many days on end. The two go to a park where Ben watches Kerouac sleep in the grass. He awakens for nonsensical conversations in which Ben plays with happy images in Kerouac's imagination, and reassures Kerouac that he is welcome to rest and recover.

Chapter 30 Analysis

The value of this dedicatedly sober friend is clear in this chapter, as well as the fact that Kerouac's friends have been discussing his state, and that they are concerned. The fact that Kerouac devotes a whole chapter to Ben's merciful and selfless act of watching over him as he sleeps confirms that he recognizes Ben Fagan's value as a friend and as a dedicated teetotaler.