How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
The sun began to get red. Nothing had been accomplished. What was there to accomplish? "Manana" said Rickey. "Manana, man, we make it; have another beer, man, dah you go, dab you go!" (I.13.19)
Characters like Rickey have a poor understanding of time, thinking of tomorrow as an intangible date that never arrives, and suffering because of it. If Dean "knows time," then Rickey is the antithesis, knowing nothing whatsoever of time.
Quote #8
"Nowhere, man. I’m supposed to live with Big Rosey but she threw me out last night. I’m gonna get my truck and sleep in it tonight." Guitars tinkled. Terry and I gazed at the stars together and kissed. "Manana" she said. "Everything’ll be all right tomorrow, don’t you think, Sal-honey, man?"
"Sure, baby, manana." It was always manana. For the next week that was all I heard - manana, a lovely word and one that probably means heaven. (I.13.25, I.13.26)
Sal’s claim that mañana "probably means heaven" is fascinating – mañana, or "tomorrow," is in some ways a day never reached. So is the end of the road, that place father east or farther west or farther south. Sal also refers to the end of the road as heaven.
Quote #9
Suddenly I found myself on Times Square. I had traveled eight thousand miles around the American continent and I was back on Times Square; and right in the middle of a rush hour, too, seeing with my innocent road-eyes the absolute madness and fantastic hoorair of New York with its millions and millions hustling forever for a buck among themselves, the mad dream - grabbing, taking, giving, sighing, dying, just so they could be buried in those awful cemetery cities beyond Long Island City. (I.14.9)
It is interesting that Sal always returns to Times Square when he gets back to New York. Here he relates time to the fear of death. His sense of urgency, we see, comes from his fear of death, the Shrouded Traveler pursuing him ruthlessly.