Misfit by Gary Gulman: Ending Explained

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

The Literal Ending: What Happens in the Final Chapter

The memoir's final chapter, “New York City, 2023,” is less a traditional plot climax than a reflective coda. It opens with Gulman and his partner, Sadé, moving back in together on May 26, 2018, eleven months after they locked their Queens storage unit. When they roll up the steel door, they find a canvas painting of Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE sculpture that Sadé had placed at eye level—a deliberate gesture meant to greet them if they returned together.

By this point, Gulman is touring again with material about his illness, hospitalization, and recovery. He and his manager have an idea for a documentary/comedy special, and he meets with a filmmaker to discuss it. He is hopeful but realistic, noting that for the first time in his memory, he isn't relying on the project to bolster his self-worth.

Gulman then reflects on his mental health: his depression will have been in remission for six years when the book is published. He credits a strong recovery foundation and his doctor's assurance that relapse is unlikely. He describes his dedication to mental health as equal to his former devotion to his jump shot, strength training, and joke writing.

The chapter pivots to a memory from Graduation Day 1989, when he drove to Universe Gym to lift weights for two hours. He connects this to The Great Gatsby's famous closing lines about the green light and beating on against the current. He admits that from childhood through age forty-seven, he believed the remedy for his melancholy was to run faster and stretch out his arms farther—still chasing the green light.

Then he offers advice to his younger self and to misfits everywhere. The central directive is “GET OUT OF THE BOAT!”—a call to stop the ceaseless striving. He tells readers they will always be the same person the bus driver was happy to see on the first day of school, to keep noticing small wonders, not to worry about show-and-tell, to try to get laughs, to say “I’ll figure it out” when scared, and to hold on tight to the Joanies, Billys, Finns, Loris, and Sadés in their lives. He ends with the assertion that all great laughs come from the minds of misfits.

The Climax: A Shift from External Validation to Internal Self-Worth

The climax of Misfit is not a single dramatic event but the culmination of Gulman’s long recovery from depression and his realization that he must abandon the Gatsby-like pursuit of an unattainable future. The “get out of the boat” moment is the emotional and thematic peak. Throughout the memoir, Gulman repeatedly seeks external validation—through grades, sports, comedy, and relationships—only to find it hollow. The final chapter marks his conscious decision to stop running faster and stretching out his arms farther. Instead, he embraces his present life, his partner, and his own identity as a misfit.

This climax is reinforced by the structure of the memoir itself. The early chapters are punctuated by flash-forwards to 2017 and 2018, showing Gulman in the depths of depression, recovering at his mother's house, walking his dogs, and struggling with daily tasks. The final chapter resolves that arc by showing him stable, productive, and at peace.

Major Character Outcomes

Gary Gulman: Achieves a robust recovery from depression, returns to touring, reconnects with Sadé, and reframes his life’s narrative. He no longer relies on external achievements for self-worth.
Sadé: Returns to live with Gulman, symbolizing the restoration of their relationship. Her placement of the LOVE painting at eye level suggests she never gave up hope.
Gulman’s mother: Though not directly present in the final chapter, earlier flash-forwards show her providing a home for him during his recovery. Her support is implicitly part of his foundation.
Gulman’s father: His influence is acknowledged through the Gatsby metaphor and the advice to “get out of the boat,” which implicitly rejects the father’s earlier emphasis on fighting and toughness. The ending does not resolve their relationship directly, but Gulman’s advice to hold on to loved ones suggests a broader reconciliation.
Joanie, Billy, Finn, Lori: These figures are mentioned in the final advice as people to hold on to, underscoring their importance in his life.

Resolved and Unresolved Threads

Resolved:

Depression: Gulman states it will be in remission for six years at publication.
Relationship with Sadé: They are living together again.
Career: He is touring and developing a documentary/comedy special.
Self-worth: He no longer relies on external validation.

Unresolved:

The documentary/comedy special is only an idea; its fate is unknown.
The relationship with his father remains complicated, though not directly addressed.
The future is uncertain, but Gulman’s tone is hopeful rather than anxious.

Theme Resolution

The ending directly addresses the memoir’s central themes:

The Lifelong Reworking of Childhood Material: The epigraph from Fred Rogers frames the book, and the final chapter shows Gulman using his childhood experiences—the bus driver, show-and-tell, the fights—as material for his comedy and his advice.
The Pursuit of External Validation and the Shift to Internal Self-Worth: The Gatsby quote and the “get out of the boat” directive explicitly reject the chase for external approval.
Comedy as a Coping Mechanism and a Calling: Gulman’s advice to “try to get some laughs” and his own touring with recovery material affirm comedy’s role in his life.
The Experience of Being a Misfit and the Embrace of That Identity: The final line, “all the great laughs come from the minds of misfits,” celebrates the misfit identity.
Mental Health Struggles and Recovery: The chapter is a testament to his recovery and his commitment to maintaining it.

The Epilogue: A Reflective Coda

The final chapter functions as an epilogue. It is set in 2023, years after the main events, and serves as a retrospective. Gulman looks back on his younger self, offers advice, and provides a sense of closure. The epilogue is not a narrative resolution but a thematic one, tying together the memoir’s threads.

Reasonable Interpretations

The ending is deliberately open-ended. One interpretation is that “get out of the boat” means to stop striving for an idealized future and instead live in the present. Another is that it represents a rejection of the masculine ideal of relentless pursuit, which Gulman’s father embodied. The LOVE painting can be seen as a symbol of the love Gulman has found with Sadé and, more importantly, within himself. The documentary idea may represent a new chapter in his career, but its uncertainty underscores his newfound acceptance of life’s unpredictability.

Reader Questions and Answers

1. What does “GET OUT OF THE BOAT!” mean in the context of the ending?

It is Gulman’s advice to his younger self and to all misfits: stop the ceaseless striving for external validation, symbolized by Gatsby’s green light. Instead, accept yourself and your present circumstances.

2. How does the Great Gatsby quote relate to Gulman’s recovery?

Gulman used to believe that running faster and stretching out his arms farther would cure his melancholy. The quote illustrates his old mindset, which he now rejects. Recovery, he realizes, comes from getting out of the boat, not from chasing an elusive future.

3. What is the significance of the LOVE painting?

Sadé placed it at eye level in the storage unit as a symbol of hope and love. When they return together, it greets them, representing the restoration of their relationship and the love that sustained them.

4. Does the ending resolve Gulman’s relationship with his father?

Not directly. The ending focuses on Gulman’s internal shift and his advice to others. However, the advice to “hold on to loved ones” and the rejection of the father’s emphasis on fighting suggest a broader reconciliation, but it is not explicitly addressed.

5. What happens to Gulman’s comedy career after the memoir?

He is touring with material about his illness and recovery, and he has an idea for a documentary/comedy special. The special is not confirmed, but he is hopeful and no longer depends on it for self-worth.

6. Is the ending happy or ambiguous?

It is hopeful but not a fairy-tale ending. Gulman is in remission, has a supportive partner, and has found internal peace, but the future remains uncertain. The ambiguity is intentional, reflecting his acceptance of life’s unpredictability.