On the Road Part 1, Chapter 8 Summary

  • Remember Eddie, the hitchhiker who stole Sal’s shirt? He’s back. Or rather, he phones and asks to come over.
  • They all go job hunting together; Dean stops by for about 2.5 seconds but is rushing all over the place with all the things he has to do (i.e., the women).
  • There’s a chill party at Rawlins’ house, Rawlins being another cool cat.
  • Carlo’s apartment is freaky – candles and moist walls freaky. Carlo is also becoming obsessed with Dean.
  • Dean announces his absolutely final, no-questions-asked decision: ditch Marylou, marry Camille. But go to Texas first because, really, who doesn’t want to go to Texas? Oh, and San Francisco, too.
  • Carlo and Dean do their crazy soul searching thing with each other. It’s like free writing but with speech. That is, they say everything they think of without editing it first.
  • Sal doesn’t participate, but listens while sort of sleeping.