I found these most recent chapters to be unsatisfying. I had thought that by this point, Sal or Dean would have discovered a certain purpose or changed in a dynamic way. Instead, each character remains primarily static throughout this novel, even up to this point. I feel that Kerouac is purposefully choosing to reveal only certain aspects about each of the characters and their direction. Although Sal Paradise is constantly moving and acting, I yet know very little about his motivations or who he truly is. Bits and pieces are revealed about him throughout this section, however each one is unsatisfactory to define him as a person. When Sal suddenly envisions his mother, he feels a sense of rejection, "'You are no good, inclined to drunkenness and routs and final disgraceful robbery of the fruits of my 'umble labors in the hashery. Oh son! did you not ever go on your knees and pray for deliverance for all of your sins?"' (173). Sal himself must be unsatisfied with his lifestyle yet cannot procure a change by himself. This may be the result of his lack of cameraderie that he displaces onto his entire race. He feels that "white people" are more burdened by social inadequacy than every other race, "I wish I were a denver mexican, or even a poor, overworked Jap. Anything but a 'white man.' All of my life I had white ambitions; that was why I'd abandoned a good woman like Terry in San Joaquin" (180). Sal fails to recognize that his flaws are due to personal imperfections and not of his race. Furthermore, Sal and Dean acknowledge that all truth, especially about them, leads to pain, "All truths in one painful lump leading to nightmares and pain" (185). The only conclusion that I can draw from this brief characterization of each of these individuals is that they are terrible and lost people. This suspicion is confirmed later in the novel. '"[Sal and Dean] you have no regard for anybody buy yourself and you damned kicks. All you think about is what's hanging between your legs and how much money or fun ou can get out of people and then you just throw them aside"' (194). I believe that this is an accurate characterization, that is applicable throughout the novel. To summarize, all of their relationships have been fleeting except the one between them. Both characters search for something that cannot be found while acting terribly throughout the process, both towards themselves and others.