- Now it's time for a reflection on death and a kind of eulogy for Macabéa.
- The narrator says that Macabéa is dead, and that's the only truth left.
- So that question, "What is Macabéa?" The answer is, "She is not" (6.449).
- That she is dead seems to be the only truth left. Our narrator asks, "What is she?" The reply is "she is not" (6.449).
- Rodrigo S.M. says that the greatest guilt is his.
- He tries to laugh, but he can't.
- Oh no! Actually, Rodrigo S.M. says that Macabéa has murdered him. He has died along with her: "Forgive my dying. It was unavoidable" (6.453).
- Uh-huh. This is getting a little weird.
- And now for the eulogy: "Macabéa is dead. The bells were ringing without making any sound. I now understand this story. She is the imminence in those bells, pealing so softly. The greatness of every human being" (6.455-456).