# IV: The Return of the Ghost explained — A Cycle of the West > Chapter companion for A Cycle of the West by John G. Neihardt. ## What happens Hugh Glass, recovering from his bear mauling, is consumed by vengeance against the traitor who left him for dead. He tells his story at a keelboat crew's gathering, then embarks on a grueling winter journey northward along the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, enduring blizzards and isolation. He finally reaches the new fort at the Big Horn's mouth, where his ghostly appearance terrifies the men inside, including Le Bon and Major Henry. ## Themes in this chapter ### Loss and Nostalgia Glass is haunted by memories of Jamie and the past, as seen in the 'blue of Jamie’s eyes' and the 'chill wind sorrowed' through the frosted wood. ### Fate and Inevitability Glass's journey is portrayed as a doom-driven pilgrimage, with the blizzard described as 'the web of doom' and his purpose as an inescapable call. ### Nature and the Wilderness The wilderness is a central force, with vivid descriptions of the blizzard, the frozen river, and the 'spacious unconcern' of the landscape. ## Character check-ins ### Hugh Glass The ghost-like protagonist, driven by vengeance, recovers from his wounds and undertakes a perilous winter journey to the Big Horn's mouth. ### Jules Le Bon The traitor who abandoned Glass; his presence at the fort is implied by Henry's mention, and he is the first to see Glass's ghostly figure. ### Major Andrew Henry Leader of the fort at the Big Horn's mouth; he dismisses the ghost sighting as impossible, asserting that the dead are dead. ### Little Jim Mentioned in Glass's memory; his eyes haunt Glass as he passes the empty Ree lodges, and Glass imagines hearing his laugh at the fort. ## Key lines > I can not rest; for I am but the ghost Of someone murdered by a friend,” he said, “So long as yonder traitor thinks me dead, Aye, buried in the bellies of the crows And kiotes! Glass declares he cannot find peace because he is like a ghost of a man killed by a friend, as long as the traitor believes him dead and eaten by scavengers. _This establishes Glass's primary motivation of vengeance and his self-perception as a revenant._ > He spoke unwitting how his passion played Upon them, how their eyes grew soft or hard With what he told; yet something of the bard He seemed, and his the purpose that is art’s, Whereby men make a vintage of their hearts And with the wine of beauty deaden pain. Unknowingly, his storytelling moved his listeners, and he appeared like a poet who transforms personal suffering into art to numb the pain. _Highlights the cathartic and artistic power of Glass's narrative._ > He should have died and did not—that was all. Well, let the living jig it! He would turn Back to the night, the spacious unconcern Of wilderness that never played the friend. Glass reflects that he should have died but didn't, and decides to let the living enjoy themselves while he returns to the indifferent wilderness. _Shows Glass's moment of resignation before his vengeful impulse returns._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_cycle_of_the_west_se/chapters/iv-the-return-of-the-ghost - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_cycle_of_the_west_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_cycle_of_the_west_se/chapters