Part III

          Sal wishes that he could be anything, but a white man. He likes the way that "brown people"live their lives with joy and the "overworked" Mexicans live theirs. After a time he realizes that who he really wants to be is anyone, but himself. The situations are then reversed between Dean and Sal where Sal needs to stay with Dean and Dean needs Sal emotionally. Sal's view on women takes a turning point as well. He has gained more respect for them, whereas Dean's charm has worn off and he is finally broken. Sal takes up his defense and sticks up for his friend. Sal gains some confidence for the first time because of this and Dean is now just as dependent on Sal as Sal used to be and still is, though not as much, on him. In Denver, they don't care that they have no idea what they're doing or where they're going, but are going to make the most of it and have fun doing whatever it is they're doing due to the discovery that worry is the "betrayal of time". As betrayal is the topic for the moment, I would like to take this moment to point out that  we see Dean actually emotionally hurt for the first time because he has become vulnerable to Sal and opened up to him. This is where you discover what these two polar opposites have in common in their core. They both love to be around people, but are too wary to grow attached lest they become vulnerable and open and are hurt, later, down the road. They're friendship is the most important thing to them, especially when Dean's family disowns him, he still has Sal and that's okay with him. As they pass through more states, Dean recounts stories of when he was a rambunctious teenager, driving very fast as they go. Their lives are the road as much as the road is their lives. They have each other and the road; everything else is replaceable. Sal begins to speak for Dean too as they ride the bus to Detroit. His attitude and sense of hopelessness has receded and I think its all due to the relationship that has been formed through this entire ordeal. What will they do when they have exhausted the road or the road exhausts then? What will Dean and Sal do if one would like to settle down eventually? I hope that both men work on continuing to help each other find themselves as this novel progresses. I also worry about how the end result will be when everything that has to be written has been.