Everyone in This Room Will Someday be Dead

Many sects of Christianity revolve around a liturgical calendar, or a calendar that links the seasons to days of religious significance. In the Roman Catholic church, the liturgical year begins with Advent (which begins near the beginning of December). The Roman Catholic liturgical year ends with Easter (in late March or April), and the period between Easter and Advent is one of two periods of Ordinary Time according to the liturgical calendar. Ordinary Time is a stretch of time that bears no significance to the Roman Catholic Church and Jesus Christ’s life.

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is divided into five parts named after parts of the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar: Advent, Twelvetide, Ordinary Time, Lent, and Easter. Gilda’s journey coincides with these religious demarcations: For example, Advent is a time of preparing for the birth of Jesus Christ, so Part 1 (“Advent”) likewise sets the stage for Gilda’s conflicts. Twelvetide comprises the 12 days of Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, spanning from December 25 to January 6. For Gilda, Part 2 (“Twelvetide”) complicates her relationships, setting the stage for her deteriorating mental health in Part 4 (“Lent”). Part 2 also introduces the police, who force Gilda to reevaluate her life during her imprisonment in Part 4 and Part 5 (“Easter”). Part 3 (“Ordinary Time”) is the stretch of time between Christmas and Easter, and as such, serves as the calm before the storm of Part 4.

Lent is a 40-day observance honoring Jesus’s time fasting in a desert and overcoming the temptations of Satan. Part 4 sees Gilda falling back on old habits, losing her relationship with Eleanor, and ending up in jail as her attempts to soothe Rosemary backfire. This period represents suffering and asceticism for Gilda as she tries to be a better person, much like what Lent is meant to symbolize for the Christian community. Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a time to celebrate rebirth, change, and renewal. In Part 5, Gilda makes amends with everyone she’s interacted with, including Rosemary, who forgives her for pretending to be Grace (224-26). Gilda and Eleanor repair their relationship, and the former learns to take charge of her life.

Each part of the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar is significant to Gilda’s life, despite the fact that she’s an atheist. Emily Austin was raised as a Catholic, but the inclusion of the liturgical calendar signifies its cultural impact outside of the practicing Christian community.