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”).