Summary
Stein frames Chapter 56 like a courtroom drama as imagined by Enzo, based upon a combination of snippets he overheard from Denny and episodes of Law and Order. On the final day of deliberation, Denny’s lawyer, Mr. Lawrence, delivers an uncharacteristically charismatic speech about how the prosecution utterly lacks evidence and their entire case is based upon witness testimony and he-said-she-said.
The prosecution creates a narrative of insidious seduction the week of the family reunion. Several of Annika’s family members testify to remembering Denny constantly flirting with Annika that week, taking any excuse to be alone with her. Annika herself takes the stand and reinforces the narrative that Denny seduced her. Then the judge orders an extended recess, during which Mr. Lawrence approaches Annika and asks her about her testimony.
After the recess, Annika recants her statements. The prosecution abandons the case, officially setting Denny free from his legal troubles. Outside of the courtroom, Denny breaks down in tears in Mike’s arms. He weeps tears of joy and relief at the prospect of finally having his daughter back.
In the midst of reimagining the happenings at the courthouse, Enzo fantasizes a scenario where he is able to testify with the help of a voice synthesizer. In his fantasy, he delivers a rousing speech about having to break the mirrors of misconception and acknowledge the truth in front of us. His imagined speech proves to be quite convincing to the jury. Luckily, Annika recants anyway, and Denny is saved without the help of Enzo and a voice synthesizer.
The day after the verdict, The Evil Twins drop their custody suit. Denny grants them the requested 48 hours to gather Zoë’s belongings and spend a couple of days with her before releasing her to Denny. The day before Zoë's arrival, Luca Pantoni from Ferrari calls Denny to ask if he is still interested in working for him. Denny accepts the position in Italy. He and Zoë are excited to have a fresh start in a new country. Zoë wants to enroll in Italian school and immerse herself in the culture.
Before hanging up the phone, Denny asks Luca to tell him why he took such an interest. Luca shares that his wife died many years ago, and his grief was so powerful that he thought he would not be able to go on living. But he had a mentor offer him a hand, just like he was doing for Denny, and it saved his life. He believes Denny has tremendous talent and an even more impressive spirit.
The next day, as Denny awaits Zoë’s arrival, Enzo starts to fade. Denny prepares a big breakfast and gives Enzo a pancake, but Enzo is unable to chew it. At this point in the novel, we have surpassed the original starting point. Enzo says that he does not want to make Denny decide to put him down. He would like to die on his own terms. He references Dr. Kevorkian and claims that if he were reincarnated as a man, he would invent an assisted suicide machine for dogs to prevent their owners from having to decide to euthanize them.
Enzo final moments of life are spent in Denny’s arms. Enzo recalls the documentary about Mongolian reincarnation which claims that when dogs die, they are allowed to run freely in heavenly fields until their souls are ready to occupy a human form. As Enzo fades out of life, he imagines running through a field in Spangle, Washington, and every few seconds, he can hear Denny’s voice telling him he can go, setting him free from this world.
The epilogue of the book takes place in Imola, Italy, many years after Enzo’s death and Denny and Zoë’s big move to Italy. The narrative voice shifts into an omniscient third person. We find Denny in a Ferrari uniform, having become a champion formula one racecar driver. Zoë has grown into a beautiful young woman who looks like Eve. One day, she brings an Italian family to the track to meet Denny. They say they are huge fans of him, especially their young son, Enzo. Enzo wants to be a racecar champion just like Denny. When Denny learns the boy’s name, he senses the energy of his old friend. He gives his number to the family and tells them that when the boy is old enough, they should call him, and he will make sure that he receives the best training.
Analysis
The framing of the courtroom proceedings in italics creates a visual distinction for the reader between reality and Enzo’s imagination; but the outcome of the afternoon in court remains the same, thus blending Enzo’s imagination with reality in a way that affirms his fantasies. In his fantasy, he compares his voice synthesizer with the computer Stephen Hawking used to communicate with. The reference to Hawking puts Enzo on the same plane as one of the most celebrated minds in the last century, which by association validates his testimony.
Enzo also works his angle as a cinephile, referencing the James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun, in order to communicate his point about the truth being distorted by mirrors of misconception. In his fantasy, the jury reveres him for his thoughtful and dramatic testimony. In reality though, Annika saves Denny by deciding to tell the truth and recant. This is where Enzo’s fantasy and Denny’s reality intersect. In both scenarios, the court exonerates Denny, and Maxwell and Trish subsequently drop their custody suit.
Denny’s conversation with Luca Pantoni reinforces the novel’s message of championing resilience in the face of extreme adversity. Had Denny capitulated and signed the plea bargain and given up custody of Zoë, he would not be rewarded with a dream job and a shot at a career racing Ferraris. But since he decided to fight (with the encouragement of Enzo) Luca Pantoni recognizes his courage and gives him a shot.
The scene of Enzo’s death uses rhythm and shorter paragraphs with intercut dialogue from Denny to create the distinct feeling of Enzo slipping away from the world and into the afterlife he has imagined for so long. His narrative voice becomes more disjointed and moves into the realm of repetition and free association, mimicking the babble of a human being on the edge of death. The field to which he ascends is the field in Spangle, Washington, where he was born, and in this way, Stein employs the trope of life passing before one's eyes in the moment of death. This final scene affirms Enzo’s version of the afterlife as described by the Mongolian documentary.
The epilogue in Italy shifts to a third-person narrative perspective, which demonstrates the absence of Enzo from the world. We know a considerable amount of time has passed because in this chapter, Zoë is shown to be a grown woman, and the narration describes Denny as a champion Formula One driver in the middle of a successful career. The final scene in which Denny meets a little boy named Enzo refers back to Chapter 47 when Enzo predicted that some little boy somewhere inherited the soul and racing talent of Ayrton Senna through reincarnation; except in this case, Enzo was reincarnated as a little boy with all the residual passion for racing from his life with Denny. The end of the novel offers hope that Denny’s legacy will live on for generations in the hands of Enzo and that their relationship will continue as a mentorship, and Enzo will finally realize his dream of being a racecar driver.
