Travels with Charley Part 2, Chapter 2 Summary

  • Now we get some details about how Steinbeck kept up proper hygiene during his trip, including how he used a makeshift washing machine (in a trash can) to wash his clothes and made frequent stops at hotels for baths.
  • We also get more details about his interactions with folks along the way, of course. In particular, near Bangor, he went into the restaurant of an autocourt where he was staying and chatted with the waitress, who apparently wasn't the happiest bunny.
  • At the recommendation of a friend named Elizabeth Otis, Steinbeck headed toward a place called Deer Isle. He got lost on the way and was forced to ask for directions from a very terse state trooper.
  • When he got to his destination, he went to the house of someone named Eleanor Brace, who had a grumpy old cat named George.
  • After Deer Isle, he went further north in Maine. We get some of his reflections on hunting—and how he needed to protect Charley from an overenthusiastic huntsman.