Chapter 59 Summary and Analysis

⚠️ 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 at Ben's wedding, held at a lenient Unitarian church on the South Side, not far from the old apartment where Julia once lived. Julia finds Ben in a storage room, perched on a desk, with his friend Noah, who is about to leave for New York. After Noah departs, Julia and Ben share a private moment. She fumbles with his tie, tells him she loves him, and offers her only advice: “Try to be happy.” She and Mark then walk Ben down the aisle. Sunny appears visibly pregnant, and the ceremony proceeds. At the reception at Lettuce Pray, Ben and Sunny share their first dance to “Waiting on a Friend.” Anita initially prepares to leave, but Mark invites her to stay, and she does. Julia dances with Ben, and the chapter then jumps forward two and a half years: Mark dies of an aortic aneurysm. Julia's mother's memory declines; Helen dies; Alma graduates, travels to Accra, and returns; Sunny graduates; three grandsons are born; Alma's engagement falls through; Julia's own memory begins to falter. The chapter closes with Mark and Julia visiting their first grandson at the hospital and walking to the lakefront, where Mark says “We did it.”

Key Events

Ben and Sunny's wedding ceremony and reception.
Julia's private conversation with Ben in the storage room, where she expresses her love and gives him advice.
Julia and Mark walk Ben down the aisle; Sunny arrives visibly pregnant.
Anita nearly leaves the reception but stays after Mark invites her.
Julia dances with Ben; the chapter then fast-forwards through major life events.
Mark dies of an aortic aneurysm two and a half years later.
Helen dies; Alma graduates, travels to Accra, and returns; Sunny graduates; three grandsons are born; Alma's engagement falls through.
Julia's memory begins to falter.
Final scene: Mark and Julia visit their first grandson and walk to the lakefront, where Mark says “We did it.”

Character Development

Julia undergoes a profound transformation. In the wedding scene, she is able to articulate her love for Ben and offer him simple, heartfelt advice, a stark contrast to her earlier struggles with emotional expression. Later, after Mark's death, she grapples with grief and the gradual erosion of her memory, yet she continues to find moments of connection with her family.
Mark remains a steady, supportive presence. He invites Anita to stay, whispers something to Ben before the ceremony, and later shares a quiet moment with Julia at the lakefront, affirming their shared life.
Ben has matured into a man ready for marriage, showing openness and patience with his mother. His request for “parting words” indicates his respect for Julia's wisdom.
Anita takes a tentative step toward reconciliation by agreeing to stay at the reception, signaling a possible softening in her relationship with Julia.
Alma emerges as an independent adult, traveling to Accra, starting a nonprofit, and later calling off an engagement—all while maintaining a complex bond with her mother.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Maternal love is central, as Julia's love for Ben is expressed through her awkward tie adjustment and her advice to “try to be happy.” The memory of holding Ben as an infant underscores the depth of this bond.
Memory and forgetting pervade the chapter. Julia's recollection of the wedding moments becomes a touchstone she returns to after Mark's death, even as her own memory begins to fail. The motif of forgetting—Mark's whispered words, Julia's lapses—highlights the fragility of the past.
Grief and mortality are starkly present in the forward jump, where Mark's sudden death and Helen's funeral illustrate the inevitability of loss. Julia's grief is portrayed as a persistent, shape-shifting presence.
The passage of time is marked by the wedding, the births of grandchildren, and the decline of memory. The lakefront scene, with its reference to the lake that has witnessed key moments in Julia and Mark's relationship, symbolizes continuity and the enduring nature of their bond.
Music as a memory trigger appears when the Muppet Show theme surfaces in Julia's mind, and later when “Waiting on a Friend” evokes her early courtship with Mark.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter serves as a culmination of Julia's emotional arc. It shows her ability to express love and offer wisdom, even as she faces the inevitability of loss. The forward jump compresses years of life into a few paragraphs, emphasizing the novel's themes of time, memory, and legacy. The final scene at the lakefront, with Mark's simple affirmation “We did it,” provides a poignant closure to their partnership, while also acknowledging the uncertainty of what lies ahead. It is a chapter that encapsulates the novel's central concerns: the complexity of family bonds, the pain of grief, and the quiet endurance of love.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Julia tell Ben to “try to be happy”?

Julia's advice reflects her own lifelong struggle with contentment. She recognizes that happiness is not a given but a choice, and she wants Ben to actively pursue it in his marriage. The advice is also a form of apology for her past shortcomings as a mother, as she acknowledges she didn't always know the right things.

How does the chapter use music to connect past and present?

Music serves as a bridge between Julia's memories and her present experiences. The Muppet Show theme recalls Ben's toddlerhood, while “Waiting on a Friend” and the Talking Heads song evoke her early relationship with Mark. These musical cues highlight how the past persists in the present, shaping Julia's emotional responses.

What does the final scene at the lakefront signify for Julia and Mark?

The lakefront is a recurring symbol of their relationship—it's where Mark first said he loved her and where they later scatter his ashes. In this scene, Mark's “We did it” affirms their shared life and the family they've built. It also suggests a sense of accomplishment and acceptance, even as they face aging and the unknown future.