Summary

In Chapter 54, Johnny imagines that he is returning to his “real home” in Barbados as he travels aboard a ship in his nice clothes and his beads (399). He is deeply depressed and seasick as he travels. When they reach the Boston harbor, he goes to the deck and falls overboard.

In Chapter 55, Johnny is unconscious for three weeks. When he wakes, Kate is caring for him and his first words are to tease her. More time passes and Johnny feels as if he is being reborn. Johnny now understands why Eliot was content to spend his last days in Elizabeth's farm house, surrounded by the women of the family. He is unsteady on his feet and has trouble with his memory. He hates that everyone else is working while he is almost helpless. He grieves for his lost dreams but is relieved...