Chapter 26 'The Lift': Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

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

Summary

The chapter opens with Olga climbing into Prieto's truck on the Montauk Highway after the Hamptons party. She denies having cried, insisting her red eyes are from Visine, though the evidence shows she was actually shaking with rage after her confrontation with Dick Eikenborn. Her tears were involuntary and born of anger, not sadness. As she rides, she mentally catalogs her self-made success—Ivy League education, internships, jobs, her business, her website, her clients, her television appearances—contrasting it with Dick, who she believes has never earned anything himself.

Prieto plays freestyle music, which Olga mocks, but the siblings laugh together when he sings along. He switches to Brand Nubian as a thank-you for her help with Reggie King. Olga is annoyed he didn't warn her Reggie would be at the party; Prieto admits he suspected Reggie would confront him after his op-ed. The conversation turns to Nick Selby, whom Prieto warns Olga to avoid, saying he and his brother are involved in dangerous things and that their apparent friendship is one-sided.

Olga then asks why Prieto canceled the PROMESA board hearing. He explains that the board is ceremonial with no real authority, that Puerto Rico's debt crisis left few options, and that allowing a figurehead to testify would make Puerto Ricans look incapable of managing their own affairs. He frames it as a matter of political optics.

Shifting topics, Olga mentions that Mabel and Julio are moving to Bay Shore after their wedding. She proposes renting the family apartment to Christian, the bereaved boyfriend of her deceased friend Jan. Prieto reacts with unexpected agitation when he learns Jan died. Olga explains that Jan tested HIV positive but did not die of AIDS—he killed himself by hanging in his closet after learning his status. Prieto bangs the steering wheel repeatedly, visibly shaken. Olga corrects his outdated assumption that people still die of AIDS in America, noting that medication can make someone undetectable.

Olga reveals that Jan lived with a male partner for nearly two decades yet remained closeted, and his family never acknowledged his sexuality. She tells Prieto that everyone always knows, even if no one says anything. She then explains Christian's financial predicament—he needs two incomes to keep his life together and failed at a waiter job, face-planting with a tray of caipirinhas at the party. She offers him the family apartment.

Prieto refuses, insisting the apartment is for family and that his daughter Lourdes lives in that house. Olga counters that it is a separate unit with its own locks. The argument escalates, and Olga recalls that she, not Prieto, legally owns the house. Abuelita left it solely to Olga, with Tía Lola as executor, who advised them to keep the arrangement private to preserve family peace. Olga had told Prieto the house was his in spirit, but she now holds this secret as leverage.

Prieto makes a homophobic remark, calling Christian a derogatory term. Olga, furious, asks whether he is afraid of what Christian might do or what Prieto himself might want to do. Prieto responds by turning the music up louder, and they drive on toward Manhattan, the city glowing ahead.

Key Events

Olga rides home with Prieto, denying she was crying and attributing her red eyes to Visine.
Prieto warns Olga to stay away from Nick Selby and his brother, calling them dangerous.
Prieto explains his reasoning for canceling the PROMESA board hearing, citing political optics and colonial policy.
Olga proposes renting the family apartment to Christian, Jan's bereaved boyfriend.
Prieto reacts with intense distress to the news of Jan's death and his suicide after an HIV diagnosis.
Olga reveals that Jan was closeted despite a two-decade relationship, and that his family never acknowledged his sexuality.
Prieto refuses to allow Christian into the house, making a homophobic remark.
Olga recalls that she legally owns the house, a secret kept from the family, and confronts Prieto about his motives.
Prieto turns up the music and drives on, ending the conversation.

Character Development

Olga continues to suppress her emotions, insisting she never cries even as she is visibly shaken. Her anger at Dick reveals her pride in her self-made success and her sensitivity to being dismissed. Her decision to help Christian shows her capacity for compassion, but her willingness to use the house ownership as a weapon shows her strategic, sometimes ruthless side. Her confrontation with Prieto suggests she has long suspected his hidden struggles.

Prieto is revealed as deeply conflicted. His agitation at Jan's death, his outdated beliefs about HIV/AIDS, and his homophobic outburst all point to internalized shame. His refusal to let Christian into the house seems rooted less in practical concern for his daughter than in his own unresolved feelings. His silence and the music turned up loud are his escape.

The sibling dynamic is central here: they laugh together, argue, and ultimately retreat from honesty. Olga holds a secret that could wound Prieto deeply, and she chooses not to use it—yet.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Closeted sexuality and internalized homophobia: Jan's hidden life and Prieto's reaction to it mirror each other. Olga's line about everyone always knowing suggests a family pattern of silence.
HIV/AIDS stigma: Prieto's assumption that Jan died of AIDS reflects outdated fears, which Olga corrects with modern medical facts.
The family home as anchor: The house represents family unity, inheritance, and control. Abuelita's decision to leave it to Olga alone is a secret that could destabilize the family.
Political optics and colonialism: Prieto's explanation of PROMESA ties personal family dynamics to the larger Puerto Rican debt crisis, showing how public image shapes policy.
Emotional suppression: Both siblings avoid confronting their true feelings, using music, jokes, and deflection.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the novel's exploration of secrets and silence within the Ortiz family. The revelation that Olga owns the house—and that Abuelita deliberately chose her—adds a new layer of tension to the sibling relationship. Prieto's reaction to Jan's death and his homophobic remark strongly hint at his own closeted identity, a thread that will likely matter in later chapters. The chapter also connects personal struggles to the broader political context of Puerto Rico's debt crisis, showing how the characters' private lives are shaped by colonial history and public perception.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Olga insist she was not crying, and what does this reveal about her character?

Olga denies crying because she views tears as weakness, especially after her confrontation with Dick Eikenborn. She is proud of her self-made success and refuses to let anyone, including her brother, see her vulnerable. This reflects her broader emotional suppression and her need to appear in control.

2. What does Prieto's reaction to Jan's death reveal about him?

Prieto's intense agitation—banging the steering wheel, speaking quickly, and assuming Jan died of AIDS—suggests a personal connection to the subject. His homophobic remark and Olga's pointed question about what he fears wanting imply that he is struggling with his own closeted identity and internalized shame.

3. Why did Abuelita leave the house to Olga alone, and how does this secret affect the siblings?

Abuelita believed Olga, being single, was least likely to sell the house and most likely to keep the family intact. Tía Lola advised keeping the arrangement private to avoid conflict. The secret gives Olga power over Prieto, but she is uncomfortable using it, knowing it could wound him deeply and damage their relationship.