The Celebrants: Questions and Answers
Why does Jordan ask about Alec in the waiting room at Memorial Sloan Kettering?
In the waiting room, Jordan asks Jordy why Alec occupies such a large space in their lives, and Jordy answers that Alec embodies their younger selves. Jordan reflects that Alec, who died at twenty-two, became immortal through death, while Jordan himself faces aging and mortality. The question surfaces as Jordan grapples with his cancer recurrence and his disbelief in an afterlife, yet he pictures himself with a young Alec in heaven. This moment ties Alec's memory to the pact and to the theme of confronting mortality through planned farewells.
Evidence from chapter 2 shows Jordan's fear and his need to understand Alec's lingering presence. The exchange reveals how the friends' shared history shapes their response to death, and it foreshadows Jordan's later decision to activate the pact. For more on Alec's role, see the character page for Alec Swigert.
What is the significance of the bell that rings in the waiting room?
The bell marks another patient's completion of treatment, a sound Jordan himself rang four years and ten months earlier. When it rings, Jordan says they should have a gong for people like him, using gallows humor to acknowledge his own terminal prognosis. The bell symbolizes the arbitrary line between remission and recurrence, and it underscores the cruel timing of Jordan's relapse—just two months short of the five-year mark that would have meant cancer-free.
In chapter 2, the bell's sound interrupts the couple's grim conversation, and Jordan's reaction shows his bitterness and resignation. The bell also contrasts with the pact's living funerals, which offer a different kind of ritual for confronting death. This moment deepens the theme of autonomy and control in the dying process.
Why does Jordan give Jordy a Ouija board as a gift?
Jordan presents Jordy with a Ouija board in a Happy Birthday bag, explaining it will let them continue conversations after he's gone. The gift is a dark joke, but it also reflects Jordan's desire to maintain connection beyond death, despite his stated disbelief in an afterlife. Jordy is not amused and slams the bedroom door, leaving Jordan alone with the fire and wine. The scene highlights the couple's divergent coping styles and the strain that terminal illness places on their relationship.
In chapter 3, Jordan's attempt at humor falls flat, revealing his own need to control the narrative of his death. The Ouija board also echoes the pact's promise to leave nothing unsaid, but here it becomes a painful reminder of what will be lost. This moment connects to the theme of communication with the dead and the difficulty of letting go.
Why does Jordan want to return to Bogotá instead of going to Big Sur?
Jordan tells Jordy he wants to visit Bogotá, where his parents originated, rather than the Big Sur trip that Jordy keeps suggesting. He reflects that the things his parents escaped—gun violence, political unrest—are now in America, while marriage equality and socialized medicine are in Colombia. For Jordan, returning to his birthplace offers a way to see where his life began as it ends. Jordy is disappointed, preferring the comfort of Big Sur and the pact's gathering.
In chapter 3, Jordan's reasoning centers on home and family over adventure, challenging the bucket-list expectations that often accompany terminal diagnoses. His choice reflects the theme of cultural heritage and the meaning of home, and it sets up the later anniversary gift of plane tickets to Bogotá. This decision also creates tension with Jordy's desire to invoke the pact.
What does the “nine lives” metaphor mean in the context of the pact?
When Jordy reminds Jordan that he was meant to have nine lives, Jordan replies, “Eight, after that trip,” referring to Naomi's funeral in Mexico. The metaphor suggests that each living funeral or pact-related event costs one of their lives, and Jordan feels he has already used one. This exchange occurs in chapter 4 as Jordan sorts through his belongings, and it reveals his reluctance to trigger the pact again. The metaphor ties the pact to a finite number of chances, and Jordan's answer implies he is running out.
The line also hints at the emotional toll these planned farewells take on the friends. For more on the pact's origins, see the theme page on chosen family.
Why does Jordan sort through his belts and other belongings?
Jordan begins sorting through his belts because he wants to have some say in what happens to his things before his family takes everything. He fears his parents will be “locusts” and take everything, so he tries to control the distribution of his possessions. Jordy is reluctant to participate, arguing that Jordan is too tired and that they should spend their time differently. The scene becomes a metaphor for Jordan's desire to control his legacy and his death.
In chapter 4, the argument reveals the couple's caregiving tension and Jordan's need for autonomy. The belts also symbolize the physical decline Jordan is experiencing, as his pants grow looser. This moment connects to the theme of autonomy and control in the dying process.
What is the significance of the anniversary date that the Jordans celebrate?
The Jordans celebrate the day in early June when Jordy arrived in New York City and buzzed Jordan's apartment, not their wedding anniversary or the day they met. They chose this date because it marks the moment they truly began their life together, after decades of being together before marriage equality was legal. The anniversary is reenacted with ajiaco soup and empanadas, recreating their first meal. In chapter 5, Jordy makes the soup and presents plane tickets to Bogotá, turning the anniversary into a moment of vulnerability and confession.
The date also highlights the theme of homecoming as a milestone and the couple's shared history. Jordan's confession about seeing someone else on that first night adds a layer of honesty and forgiveness to the celebration.
Why does Jordan confess that he was seeing someone else when Jordy first arrived?
Jordan reveals that when Jordy buzzed his apartment on that first night, he had just started seeing someone else and briefly wasn't sure he was happy to see Jordy. He explains that by the next morning everything felt right, and he has been glad every day since. The confession comes as a surprise to Jordy, who thought they had no more secrets. This moment deepens their intimacy and honesty, especially as Jordan faces death.
In chapter 5, the confession is framed as a secret that Jordan had kept for decades, and it underscores the theme of leaving nothing unsaid. Jordy's reaction shows his vulnerability, but he ultimately accepts the reassurance. This scene also connects to the pact's mission of saying everything before it's too late.
What role does ajiaco soup play in the anniversary scene?
Ajiaco soup, a Colombian potato and chicken soup, is the dish Jordan's mother made and that Jordy recreates for their anniversary. It represents cultural heritage, love, and the couple's shared history, as it was the first meal they shared when Jordy moved to New York. Jordy obtains the recipe from Jordan's mother and makes it himself, showing his commitment to preserving Jordan's traditions. The soup also becomes a way to connect Jordan to his Colombian roots, especially as he plans a trip to Bogotá.
In chapter 5, the soup's aroma awakens Jordan's appetite, and the act of making it becomes a tender gesture. The scene emphasizes food as a language of love and memory, and it ties to the theme of cultural heritage and home.
Why does Jordan order a martini despite his cancer treatment?
Jordan orders a martini at Joe Allen's, despite Jordy's gentle objections, because he is tired of being managed and treated like a child. The drink becomes a symbol of his autonomy and his desire to live on his own terms, even as his health declines. When Jordy stops him from ordering a second, Jordan announces he wants to discontinue his treatment, sparking a fight. The martini scene in chapter 6 is a turning point where Jordan asserts control over his end-of-life decisions.
The argument leads to Jordy challenging him to trigger the pact, and Jordan eventually texts the group to activate it. This moment connects to the theme of autonomy and control in the dying process, and it shows the strain on their relationship.
What is the pact, and how does it begin?
The pact is a promise among five college friends—Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle—to throw one another living funerals so that none of them would ever wonder what impact they had on the others. It began after the death of their friend Alec Swigert before graduation, as a way to ensure that they would leave nothing unsaid. The pact is referenced throughout the novel, and in chapter 2, Jordan shows Jordy the group text chain named “NANA'S HUNGRY LITTLE PIE EATERS,” which relates to the pact.
In chapter 8, Jordan's obituary explains the pact's origin and mission. The pact serves as a central mechanism for the story, allowing characters to confront mortality through planned farewells. For more, see the theme page on leaving nothing unsaid.
Why does Jordy say he doesn't need the pact?
During the argument at Joe Allen's, Jordy insists that he will survive without the pact, saying he doesn't need people telling him what to do. He is frustrated by being treated as the one who needs support, and he wants to assert his own independence. However, Jordan sees through this bravado, noting that Jordy is protesting too much. The statement reveals Jordy's internal conflict between his desire for autonomy and his need for connection.
In chapter 6, Jordy's outburst about his name change and his future plans shows his resentment at being defined by his role as caregiver. This moment connects to the theme of identity and selfhood, and it foreshadows his eventual participation in the pact.
What is the significance of Jordan hallucinating that the bartender is Alec?
After drinking too much, Jordan briefly sees the bartender as Alec, his old friend who died years ago. The hallucination occurs as Jordan is about to text the pact members, and it suggests that Alec's memory is guiding him toward activating the pact. Jordan blinks and the bartender returns to normal, but the vision underscores how Alec's death shaped the friends' lives and the pact itself.
In chapter 6, the hallucination also reflects Jordan's deteriorating physical state and his emotional vulnerability. It ties to the theme of memory and grief, and it foreshadows the living funeral that will bring the friends together.
How does the epigraph set up the novel's themes?
The epigraph, a quote from Joanne Harris's Chocolat, states, “Life is what you celebrate. All of it. Even its end.” This sets the tone for the novel's exploration of celebrating life in the face of death, and it directly connects to the pact's living funerals. The epigraph suggests that death is not something to be mourned but to be honored as part of the full span of life.
In chapter 1, the epigraph stands alone as a thematic preface, and it frames the story that follows. It aligns with the characters' efforts to leave nothing unsaid and to find meaning in their relationships. This theme is explored further in the theme page on confronting mortality through planned farewells.
What does Jordan's obituary reveal about his life and the pact?
Jordan's obituary, presented as chapter 8, summarizes his career in public relations, his activism, and his immigration from Colombia. It also explains the pact's origin: after Alec's death, Jordan and his four classmates promised to throw one another living funerals so that none would be left to wonder about their impact. The obituary notes that Jordan died at fifty-one after a battle with cancer, and it asks that in lieu of flowers, people tell a loved one the positive impact they have had.
This chapter serves as a formal record of Jordan's legacy and the pact's mission. It reinforces the theme of leaving nothing unsaid and shows how Jordan's life was defined by his relationships and his commitment to community. For more on Jordan's character, see the character page for Jordan Aarón Vargas.