The Dharma Bums: Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

In the sleepy town of Bridgeport, Henry tries to buy a sleeping bag while Japhy and Ray chat with an American Indian hitchhiker outside. Eventually, Henry gives up, and the guys decide to rent blankets from a nearby lake lodge instead. The last stretch of the road to Mount Matterhorn is being repaired, so the guys park early. Before they set off, Japhy draws a circular Buddhist mandala figure in the dirt, which will protect the group and help him foretell the future. Ray dons his beret and sneakers, Japhy his cap and hiking boots. Ray fantasizes about Japhy hiking alone in the same outfit, looking masculine in the rugged wilderness.

As the men set off, Ray comments that this hike is a much better way to spend a Saturday morning than getting drunk in San Francisco—but Japhy quips that it’s wrong to compare experiences because all of life is “the same old void.” Ray realizes that Japhy is right and thanks him for showing the alternatives to civilization. They pass the men repairing the road and then, a few miles later, buy snacks at the log-cabin lodge at the beginning of the trailhead.

Suddenly, Henry freaks out and makes up a story about needing to drain his car’s crankcase (part of the engine) so that the cold won’t ruin it. He starts going back and promises to meet Ray and Japhy at their bonfire that night. Ray tries to talk him out of it, but Henry heads back toward his car.

With Henry gone, Ray and Japhy have a much more interesting conversation on their way up the mountain. Ray admires how comfortable Japhy seems in nature—he even repairs the trail on the way, since that used to be one of his jobs. As Ray and Japhy look out on an enormous lake, they start coming up with haikus. Ray has trouble, but Japhy tries to help by naming different flowers and trees. Later, they come to a stream, where they drink and rest for awhile.