The Celebrants

Part 6 features a return to the time and setting with which the novel begins, as the group congregate in Sur la Vie. The narrative structure means that, while the setting and time period are the same—Part 6 begins on the morning after the events with which the novel begins—they produce a significantly different effect. Since the reader has become increasingly familiar with the setting and characters throughout the novel, Rowley evokes a sense of familiarity and comfort at returning to a familiar setting with familiar individuals. Again, a significant portion of the action of Part 6 takes place through dialogue and subtle action. As Marielle asks if Jordan wants to help her feed the cats, the narrator describes “[t]his blind kitten, an oracle of sorts, calm in his arms because it could sense his strength leaving him” (273). The kitten as an oracle recalls the uncanny events throughout the novel, particularly through the motif of communing with the dead. Furthermore, Jordan’s acknowledgement of his own impending death while interacting with new life emphasizes his character arc toward acknowledgment of his mortality and a deeper understanding of life.

Unlike earlier sections that are specifically focused on one individual at a time, Part 6 functions as a funeral for “the Jordans” rather than for one individual. Rowley accomplishes this sense through shifts between their perspectives, as well as the foreshadowing throughout the novel in the form of their arguments about whether Jordy or Jordan should trigger the pact. Jordan eventually decides that he has developed “the perfect scheme […]. He would give his funeral to Jordy and then die without triggering the pact for himself and thus the pact would remain binding forever” (277). Rowley thus alludes to the question of what it takes to keep old friendships alive and returns to the theme of The Closeness of Found Family Despite Periods of Distance. While the pact is clearly not the only element upon which their close connection is based, the pact is the inciting incident for the group’s interactions, and Jordan only feels confident that his friends will keep in touch after his death if the pact is still alive. In this, Rowley suggests the fragility not only of life but also of good friendship.

Jordan’s progression as a character throughout Part 6, and the novel as a whole, is based on coming to terms with his impending death. Jordy’s is similar, as he must come to terms in advance with the significant change to his own identity that will occur after Jordan is gone. His participation in the Escape from Alcatraz race is a significant return to his identity as a swimmer, and he also works through his anger at Jordan as he swims, identifying that there are many reasons for his anger: “For leaving him here. For being such a huge part of his life. His identity. For having his name” (294). Rowley therefore returns to the theme of Identity Originating in Self Versus Others to explore the part of one’s identity that originates in their relationships, particularly one that is long and close. This emphasizes that grieving a partner in advance after a terminal diagnosis also involves grieving part of one’s own identity.

Rather than an interlude, the novel concludes with Jordan’s obituary. The inclusion of the obituary adds an element of realism to the novel using a genre that is dissonant with literary fiction by virtue of its informative and commemoratory purposes. It also confirms the detailed level of characterization throughout the novel, as the details of Jordan’s biography reflect detail already given to the reader. The inclusion of the pact in the obituary also emphasizes that it was a central part of life for all its participants.