The narrator reflects on the essential conflict of human existence: the battle between good and evil. He asserts that the only way humans can prove their goodness is to leave behind love in the wake of their deaths:

We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is (413).

Therefore, while human existence constantly negotiates good and evil, as generations continue, what constitutes evil may change—but the understanding of what’s good doesn’t.

Lee helps the boys and Adam move into Dessie’s former house in Salinas. Then, Lee leaves the family to pursue his dream of opening a bookstore in San Francisco. However, after only six days, Lee returns to the Trask family because he’s too lonely in San Francisco.

As the twins start school in Salinas, the school’s size and education system impress them. The boys both do well but have different experiences socially, in keeping with their personalities.