Introduction
The novel Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Austin (2021) can best be described as a meditation on identity, one’s part of the world, and how one exists within that world. It is a study of existentialist philosophy through the eyes of what could only reasonably be considered an unreliable narrator. The protagonist begins by describing herself as though relating an experience to an audience. What follows is one of the most detailed descriptions of being homeless and transient in New York City. The narrative sweeps the reader through time and place, but always with a guiding hand from the narrator. In her collection of short stories, Austin seeks to further one’s knowledge and understanding of existentialist thought. She suggests that the only reason humans currently exist is that their lives affect those of others. Austin frequently cites the works of Buddhist monks and Socrates to show that awareness of one’s death is a liberating means of enjoying life. This essay will analyze the literary elements to support the central theme used throughout Austin’s novel.
Summary
Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin is a novel that explores the themes of death, life, and what it means to be human. The story follows a group of friends as they explore an abandoned building, discovering that one of their friends is missing. As they search for her, they begin to realize that something more sinister is going on and that someone in their group may be responsible for her disappearance. The novel uses this scenario to explore how people deal with death and loss. The characters must confront their mortality while trying to find something or someone who has disappeared. They have to decide whether or not it is better to live life without knowing what happened or if it is worth risking their safety to find out the truth about someone else’s disappearance.
In addition, Austin’s characters struggle with various aspects of their lives. They are all trying to find out who they are and what they want out of life, and they have all kinds of difficulties standing in the way (Abbott 89). They have all made bad choices in their pasts, and some feel they will never be able to undo those mistakes. However, almost every character has an awakening moment where they realize that even if there is nothing they can do about the past, they can still make changes in the future.
Moreover, the main themes of this book include how love can be found anywhere and how it can change people’s lives for better or worse. This theme is central because it shows that one does not need to find their soulmate at first sight; one needs to be open to love and willing to take risks even if it means getting hurt sometimes. This theme also shows how people should never give up on someone else just because they have hurt them. Everyone deserves another chance at happiness when they are ready for it themselves, even if it takes them forever.
Critical Analysis
Austin uses literary elements in her novel to express the theme of death. The author uses language and imagery to express the theme of death throughout the story. The language used by the author is very poetic and poetic. It is full of metaphors that convey the idea of death in many different ways. For example, when talking about how she feels after a breakup, Austin says, “I feel like I am being buried alive” (Cummins 156). This metaphor makes it clear that her heart has been broken even though she is still alive. It allows readers to empathize with her because they know what it is like to feel like they are dying inside after a breakup or any other loss in life.
Another way that Austin expresses her theme through language is by using anaphora at the beginning of each chapter. She starts every chapter with, “Everyone in this room will someday be dead.” This repetition reminds readers that everyone dies eventually, which can be comforting if one goes through something hard and wants reassurance that things will get better eventually (Lee 291). The author uses imagery when she writes, “At least I know what to do with my hands” (Austin 6). This line shows how much she wants to move forward with her life and not just dwell on her past. She shows people that she has moved on from her mother’s death. When Austin writes, “I’ve dreamed about this moment,” she refers to marrying someone who truly loves her for who she is and not what he can get from her (Austin 15). This way, people can see that she has moved on from her father’s death because he also died early.
In addition, the author uses a lot of imagery throughout the book, especially in describing how she feels during various events or activities. For example, when she talks about getting drunk for the first time, she says it was like “being wrapped up in a warm blanket on a cold day.” (Austin 23). She also describes her grandfather as smelling like coffee and cigars; this description creates an image in the reader’s mind that helps them connect with him more personally than if she had said he smells like coffee and cigars.
Another literary element used in this novel is internal dialogue to express themes of identity and self-discovery. The novel’s narrator is on a road trip with her husband and his family to visit their son at college. After being asked by her husband’s aunt why she does not have kids yet, the narrator reflects on how she feels about her own identity: “I’ve always been someone’s wife or someone’s daughter or someone’s friend… but I have never been just me” (Austin, 6). The narrator’s internal monologue reveals that she has always had an underdeveloped sense of self. No one has ever encouraged her to think of herself as an individual who can make choices independently from others. Her husband treats her like an extension of himself. He tells her what clothes to wear and which car they should drive in when arriving at their destination (Austin, 88). His mother treats her like a child; she asks for confirmation when advising about how the narrator should handle situations with other people.
Further, Austin uses imagery to portray Chloe’s fragility and desire to impact others’ lives while she still can. For example, when describing how much time passes between each day of Chloe’s life which seems like just minutes, Austin writes: “She felt like she was running out of time” (Austin 50). The idea of running out of time suggests that death could come any minute.
Moreover, Austin uses repetition throughout the piece to emphasize living in the moment. For example, when describing what it was like working as an escort, she says: “Every day was an audition for something else—an audition for love, or at least for the next job.” She also uses repetition when describing how she used drugs: “I had been addicted to drugs since I was fourteen years old.” She repeats these phrases later in the story: “I was addicted to drugs since I was fourteen years old.” (Gilbert and Susan 50). This repetition shows how much time has passed between these two events and highlights how long she has been addicted to drugs.
Supportive Context
The most prominent theme is the idea of an afterlife and how people will eventually be judged. Austin uses this theme to create a fear that readers will be judged by their actions and lives. She accomplishes this by having characters looking for redemption or haunted by their pasts (Railo 140). For example, a man named Henry has lost his wife and two children to cancer. He feels guilty because he left them alone at work, which exposed them to chemicals that caused their cancers (Austin 17). Her past haunts another character named Edith, a prostitute who gave up her body for money. She feels she does not deserve happiness after everything she did for money (Austin 33). These characters show how even though people may try to do good things with their lives, it does not mean they will be rewarded for it. Sometimes, doing bad things can lead to good things happening in your life.
As people follow the main character’s journey through this new reality, they eventually realize that all people have lost something vital: their identities. People have all forgotten who they are and where they came from. They have all lost the memories of their lives before this moment. They are each just trying to make sense of what is happening without context.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a novel that encourages readers to look inside themselves and ensure they never forget about their past. The book has an overall positive message; anyone can learn from it. While it may seem long-winded at times, this is a delightfully crafted book and one that will keep one wanting to read more. The rising action shows the fear in the main character and how she regrets things in her life. Actions that she took upon herself throughout the rising action. The climax shows that everything she knew was a lie, and this is where she realizes it after all is said and done. There was a fizzle in excitement compared to how high the stakes were raised.
Conclusion
Overall, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a heartache story that covers themes of friendship, mistakes, and consequences of one’s actions. In addition, the novel covers themes of second chances, age differences between friends, self-worth, being lost in love, self-identity, regretting one’s movements, and not having enough time to make up for mistakes. Finally, the novel covers themes of retaking control of one’s life, whether one likes it or not, trust issues between close friends or family members, and finding oneself again afterthought one found themselves years ago.
Works Cited
Abbott, H. Porter. The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative. Cambridge University Press, 2020.
Austin, Emily. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead. Atria Books, Web.
Cummins, Light Townsend. Emily Austin of Texas 1795-1851. Vol. 1. Texas A&M University Press, 2019.
Gilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in The Attic: The Woman Writer and The Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. Yale University Press, 2020. JSTOR, Web.
Lee, Rebecca Smith. “17. On the Wing, 1837-1840“. Mary Austin Holley: A Biography, New York, USA: University of Texas Press, 1962, pp. 285-304. Web.
Railo, Eino. The Haunted Castle: A Study of the Elements of English Romanticism. Routledge, 2019. Web.