The Dharma Bums

"And Suddenly I realized I was truly alone and had nothing to do but feed myself and rest and amuse myself, and nobody could criticize." (235)

Here towards the end of the book Ray is all alone. Japhy is gone and Ray has no one. He feels alone, but he likes it. He likes being free from others and their judgments. He is completely self reliant. Before this he is searching for freedom and finds it occasionally but now he has found complete freedom and aloneness.

"The vision of the freedom of eternity was mine forever" (243)

Here Ray is on Desolation Peak and he is looking out at sunset when he has this self satisfaction as he looks out into the world and can see freedom and he feels complete freedom and he can cherish it forever. He can looks out into the empty land and feels the freedom of eternity because there is so much to be had.