When Theo saw his father on an old TV show, he tells us that the "multiple ironies of this were so layered and uncanny that I gaped in horror." What are some of the ironies?
On p. 702, Theo outlines his father's world view and it echoes in various parts of the chapter. What are the flaws in his view? What actually makes sense?
How is the advertisement quote on p. 707 germane to the story?
Theo is worried about being hunted by the bad guys, he is worried about where Boris might be, his phone is dead, his passport is missing, the Embassy office is closing for the holidays...what are his options?
"The Old Masters, they were never wrong." This is an allusion. Find out what it is , where it comes from, and how it is significant here.
Did Theo's mother's spirit actually visit him, or was it all just a fever-induced dream? What do you think? Explain.
"First rule of restorations: Never do what you can't undo." What is meant by this reference to Hobie's professional code? How is it significant?
"...good doesn't always follow from good deeds, nor bad deeds result from bad, does it? [...] What if our bad and mistakes are the very thing that set our fate and bring us round to good?" Do you agree with Boris's assessment here? How does this play out in the story? How many ways?
"And isn't the whole point of things -- beautiful things -- that they connect you to some larger beauty? Those first images that crack your heart wide open and you spend the rest of your life chasing something to recapture, in one way or another?" Have you ever felt this way about any form of art? If so, tell about it.
After Hobie's speech about art, Theo tells Hobie that he sounds like Theo's dad. In what ways is Hobie more like a dad than Theo's actual father?
How do you feel about the final state of Theo's relationship with Kitsey? with Pippa? Do they make sense to you?
Theo spends a lot of time describing the painting and its significance at the end of the novel. What stands out to you in this section? What makes the most sense to you?
Is life catastrophe? Is Theo right? If so, is it "possible to play it with a kind of joy"?
How was Amsterdam Theo's Damascus? What does he mean by this?
Is there truth beyond illusion? Is there a "middle zone, a rainbow edge where beauty come into being"? Is this where love exists?
"And in the midst of our dying, as we rise from the organic and sink back ignominiously into the organic, it is a glory and a privilege to love what Death doesn't touch." This seems to be one of the bigger ideas in the novel. What are your thoughts on this quote and how it plays out in the novel?
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I believe that Theo's mother was a projection of what his sub-conscious wanted most. Throughout the entire novel, Theo is making connections to things that his mother loved, or would think. When Theo suffered this fever, it allowed his thoughts to manifest them selves in this illusion. This so powerful that he could feel his mothers presence after the illusion. I don't think that his mother actually visited Theo, but was a manifestation of her thoughts and impact on Theo. I also think that Theo saw what he did when he did because, combined with stress and a fever, he was so close to something that he attached to his mother.
The quote about death is obliviously deep and profound, but can be simplified rather easily. I think the quote is trying to say that human life is tragic an humiliating, and what doesn't rot like us is something that deserves admiration. When Theo goes to Vegas, he begins his dying with drugs and alcohol. He's clearly on a path to early death. Then, as the quote says, he rises up from this, but in humiliation, when he goes back to NYC and sells fake furniture as the real deal. And the final part of the quote, the immortal thing to love, is obliviously the painting. The painting is beautiful, and will hopefully be remembered for all of history, and Theo had the privilege to love the one thing in the novel that death won't touch.
When Theo is stuck in Amsterdam without his phone, passport, or any other form of identification and no way to contact Boris, he really only has one option- turning himself in. However, if he does turn himself in, he'd probably get stuck in a foreign prison. This is an even bigger problem than the one he is in right now because he'd never know when he could get back out or even if he could get back to America.
When Theo says, "The Old Masters, they were never wrong," he is alluding to a poem entitled, "Musee des Beaux Arts". This poem states that these "old Masters" never fail to remember, even in the most joyful of situations, that suffering and death are inevitable in the world. In the next stanza, the poem then tells of a boy who apparently died by jumping or falling from a great height into the water; it also emphasizes the fact that no one who saw him in the act paid a bit of attention, that life went calmly on without him and his anguish.
This poem relates to Theo's current situation in several ways. Firstly, Theo has overdosed on drugs in the hopes that he will die as that boy did. As Theo waits for his suicide attempt to work, he begins to think of other people who have chosen to escape their problems by their own hand; he lingers on Hart Crane, who jumped off a ship much like the boy in the poem jumped or fell into the water. Thinking of this incident leads Theo to remember Hobie, who was apparently a fan of Crane's, which in turn brings to mind the suffering of several other people he knows or knows of. It is at this point that Theo actually remembers the poem. He realizes the truth in it, if he hasn't done so already; even the people with immeasurable goodness in their hearts, and those people who appear to have all they need for a perfect life, must have problems of some sort. Theo lingers a bit too much on this point, as does the poem, and it is this unhealthy mindset that has led Theo to his desire to die.
I think that Boris’s assessment on good deeds does make logical sense. Theo made a very big mistake, he stole a famous painting from the museum, but if he wouldn’t have stolen it then they never would have recovered all the other missing pieces. By stealing one painting, he managed to return even more. I think that makes Theo feel better about himself for the whole situation. He can finally let the weight fall off his shoulder. Boris tells Theo that he can still be a good person even though he made a mistake, that mistake helped form Theo’s fate and actually help the art museum.
I think that the quote that appears on the last page means that as life carries you through the ups and downs you have to be able to appreciate the things that will last forever. For everything in life that carries sorrow and horror, there is love as well. You have to be able to keep on living even if it’s the last thing you want to do because giving up life would be giving up all the beautiful and glorious things the world has to offer.
Life is catastrophe. Each character in The Goldfinch has had his/her fair share of tragedy, just like everybody else in the world. No one can through life without being traumatized. The degrees of catastrophe vary based on sheer luck and not everyone feels it on the same levels. But here's something I liked about the novel: no one was untouched by catastrophe. It didn't matter whether you were a good person like Theo's mother or a bad person like Theo's father, whether you were rich like the Barbours or poor like the doormen, or whether you were book-smart like Andy or street-smart like Boris. Pain was universal. The choice was whether to accept it and "play it with joy" like Boris and Hobie, or let it consume you like Theo and Platt. It's an actual choice to crawl out from under the garbage life flings at us instead of being buried by it.
The ironies of Theo's father in the old TV show continue to illustrate how similar the two of them are. Throughout the novel, Xandra continues to prove that Theo and his father are not that different all along. One of the ironies is that for the first time ever, Theo sees his father being honest and straight-forward for the first time in his life. This is ironic and kind of sad because the only way Larry can be honest is when he is pretending to be someone else. Also, he was sober and clean of drugs and alcohol. It is also very creepy for Theo when his father looks straight in to the camera almost looking at Theo and ominously looking towards the future; this is the first time that his father really looks like he cares about the consequences of his actions.
The quote "it is a glory and privilege to love what death doesn't touch." is beautiful. And while Theo is referencing the painting, and how it can be passed down for ages for people to love, I still thought of his mother at this point. Even though it may be a privilege to love what cannot die or leave you, it is a greater privilege to love something that may die, but may also love you back. One quote that gave me peace of mind was found on page 724, "So- maybe when Andy washed up spitting and coughing into the country on the far side of the water, maybe my mother was the very one who knelt down by his side to greet him on the foreign shore." I loved this quote. To me, it shows that while the ones we love may die, they will not stop loving us.
In the book, Hobbie is the only positive father figure Theo has ever had in his life. He has never left Theo, even through hardships like with Lucius Reeve. Theo learned everything about his career in antique furniture and art from Hobie. Without him, who knows what he would be doing as a job. Also, Hobie was always their to cook him dinner, help him when he's sick, and pass down his wisdom. Hobbie took on the responsibility of Theo, and did not back out, which is more than his father had ever done. When Boris says, "...good doesn't always follow from good deeds, nor bad deeds result from bad, does it?", kind of follows the belief that everything happens for a reason. This relates to the story because without Theo's suspension his mom wouldn't have died, and without the death he never would've met Hobbie, Boris, or Pippa. This just shows that good things can result from a bad situation.
I've thought a lot about how strange it is that art can affect you so strongly over the course of reading this book. There's a photograph I really like that from the moment I saw it affected me. My TV has a bunch of channels in the 900s that play music and a slideshow of pictures, and I turned on a specific channel just as background music, but I happened to walk by when this picture of a woman on top of a building came on for a few seconds. It was taken from behind her, so you could see her and also the city streets below. It's night, and all the blurry lights of cars below make you feel like the picture is in motion. The woman is looking to the side, so you see her face too, and a tendril of her hair is loose, blowing in the wind. I don't know exactly why this picture affects me. Maybe because it's so mysterious (who is she? what's she doing up there?), and maybe because it feels so personal (like Hobie said, a whisper from an alley), but it always captivates me, maybe in the same way The Goldfinch captivates Theo.
In the predicament that Theo is in, being left alone, his only real options are to tough it out or commit suicide and cop out. I think Theo’s mother visiting him was only because of his fever. I can relate to this because when I get sick I have very vivid, odd dreams. I think Hobie is much more of a father than Theo’s real father because he is always protective and would never betray Theo like his real dad. To some extent, I think Theo is right about life being a catastrophe…after all, realistically we are all going to die in the end. However, I definitely believe it can be made a better catastrophe by the quality of the life you live.
I think saying life is catastrophe is a very pessimistic way of going about life. While I believe life is greatest thing granted to us, for others it can be a very dismal experience. My freshman year I read "Metamorphosis", a book stressing the beliefs of existentialism, a view I never truly understand how someone could have. Theo Decker is a character who in my eyes begins to believe a concept very similar to existentialism. In other words, we live our own life, but ultimately all that we accomplish is ruined by the inevitable, death. Theo experiences this first hand far too often. One difference in his views however, is that we can occasionally experience joy throughout life as well. While in life suffering is unavoidable, there are little things that make life worth living. For Theo, Pippa was enough to bring him out of even his deepest sadness. Every time he saw her, his mood was immediately changed for the better. Just as catastrophe implies though, this feeling can not last forever.
I agree with Madison M, and would also like to add that Hobie is more of a father figure because he provided Theo with a sense of security. Hobie was willing to take Theo in when dad died and never asked him to leave. Hobie never mentioned money, and never made Theo feel like a burden, things that dad did do. Dad would make him feel like he owed him everything, which shouldn't have happened. Hobie never asked for anything and took care of Theo, to the best of his ability. Theo also respected Hobie, in which couldn't have been said about Dad. Respect is really important because without it, there's no connection to the elder. Leading to, like Madison M. stated, Theo trusting Hobie and telling him more than he had ever told his own father.
In Boris's statement about good and bad, I agree. Within the story, the death of his mother leads to good things happening because he meets Hobie and Pippa, and reconnected with Andy. It leads to Theo finding his own meaning of happiness and finding answers for life. It leads to Boris and like Roma Lucarelli stated, the paintings. Basically, the whole story is a series of ways good and bad happen from one event. I think the statement can be true, for even the typical day. Cause and effect being an example. Proof of this statement can be seen from any point of this book. More importantly, events could have bad and good results. Meeting Boris was good but it also led to Boris stealing and becoming part of the black market, but it also led to the findings of other paintings. All in all, so many single events can rise from one cause, which means that it's never all bad or all good, which disproves Theo's way of thought.
The quote "And in the midst of our dying, as we rise from the organic and sink back ignominiously into the organic, it is a glory and a privilege to love what Death doesn't touch." It really ties into one of the main themes of the novel which is the fear of death. I really think this quote plays out in the novel really well because Theo has been surrounded by loss and pain and grief all of his life. He lost the painting and other "organic" stuff, but sadly death can't touch a persons emotions or actions that he or she has done in his or her life. Theo finds this at the end when he takes back his sins and becomes a better person by it, death couldn't touch his emotions or feelings but rather the organic stuff in his life.
When it comes down to it, Theo doesn't have many options. His best option was to sit tight and wait for Boris. However, I get why he didn't want to do that because he was afraid of someone coming after him. He also did have the option to commit suicide, but that was obviously not the best. Suicide is more of a last resort and should only have been done if he knew there were people after him and he was definitely going to die. Theo was obviously not thinking very clearly when he was deciding to kill himself. If he did want to leave, he could have walked and got a taxi to take him somewhere. Although, that isn't a very good option either because without a passport he couldn't go far.
I do agree with Boris that not everything good leads to good and not everything bad leads to bad. This is shown many times throughout the book. For example, Theo's mother was a very kind lady, but she was married to an awful man and died a horrible death. Theo's father left his family without a trace and got to live it up in Vegas with a new girl. Theo basically stole a painting and now he's living off the reward money from it. The good to bad and the bad to good were everywhere in this book just like they are in real life.
The advertisement on page 707 pretty much sums up the entirety of the book. Theo looks at this one painting with his mother for mere seconds before the explosion that drew him to this painting for the next 10-ish years. This advertisement is the metaphor to Theo’s existence. Theo locked up the painting and went years and years without ever looking at it, and yet the fear of constantly getting caught was always there. The line, “The Old Masters, they were never wrong” is referring to the poem Musee des Beaux Arts by W.H. Auden. This poem tells us how wise men always knew that death was coming. They believed that the joy of a child’s birth has death looming over. I love Susan’s interpretation of the ending about the boy who dies and yet life goes one. I feel like that is so fitting the Theo’s character throughout The Goldfinch. Theo is the exact opposite to this poem’s theme, having lost many people and being greatly effected by it, yet you can tell from his carelessness and drug use that he would feel no remorse should he die.
Hobie is definitely more like a father to Theo than Theo's real father. First, Hobie doesn't try to extort him for money, like Theo's father does! Second, Hobie, seemingly without even thinking of the burden it would put on him, accepts Theo into his house out of the blue when Theo has been gone for 2 years. He is completely selfless, while Theo's real father doesn't seem like he would ever really make a sacrifice for his son. He really only comes back to get Theo because Theo has ties to money that his father wanted to get his hands on. Third, Hobie provides stability to Theo. He isn't snorting cocaine or married to a drug dealer, and unlike Theo's father, would never yell at him and threaten to break his arm! Lastly, Hobie understands all that Theo has gone through. He actually takes the time to get to know him and listens to what he has to say, and because of this, Hobie's place is the only place Theo feels secure and accepted, while at his dad's place in Vegas, he kept to himself and barely seemed to have much contact with his father or Xandra. They didn't seem to care at all or even know how affected he was by his mother's death.
Hobie's motto of, "Never do what you can't undo", is something Theo heard a lot during his time living with him. Hobie never wanted to do something to the furniture that was irreversible because it could ruin the piece and it would never be able to be changed again. This becomes very significant at the end of the book when Theo is thinking of suicide. He was not thinking of this motto because ending his life would be something he couldn't undo. Also, Hobie acted like a father to Theo much more than his own father ever did. He offered Theo a lot after his mother died. He gave him everything he needed but most importantly he showed Theo things his dad could never give him. He showed him love, acceptance, and a future. His willingness to stick with Theo his entire life even when Theo did stupid things made them able to continue having a good relationship.
As much as I wish I could say that Theo's mother really did visit him, the amount of drugs that he was on at that point in time lead me to believe that he was really just drugged up, sick, and delusional to the point of hallucinating. She was there for him because that was what he truly needed, and his mind subconsciously gave that to him. At the end of the novel, I was definitely confused about the state of Theo's two relationships. I always imagined that he would end up happy with Pippa, yet he seemed resigned to the fact that they would never be together. I also didn't understand why he was still engaged to Kitsey, and I am even still wondering if it was out of obligation. At the end of the novel, I feel like Theo was just beginning to make sense of his life and thoughts, and I wish we could've seen the end product of his relationships as well.
Hobie's code on his restorations, "Never do what you can not undo," directly correlates to his moral code. This is shown when Theo sells Hobie's restored pieces to people as if they where museum class pieces. When hobie finds out this has happened, he thinks that there is no way to buy the pieces back from the people he sold them to, so he fells like he cheated the people out of what they thought they where getting. Therefore, he cant undo the error he (or Theo) made. This is all fixed when Theo uses the money he gets at the end of the book to right the wrongs he made in Hobie's name. Which means Hobie's code can be honored by the end of the book.
Hobie is a father figure to Theo because he is a better father than Theos real father. Hobie taught Theo skills for his job. He never tried to use him for money. Hobie accepted Theo into his home, even though he had been astray for a couple years. Without Hobie, Theos life could have easily spiraled into a even worse direction. Hobie took care of Theo when he was sick and fed him. Thats more than Theos real father ever did for him. Not to mention that Hobie would never abandoned Theo. When Theo was sick, I don't think it was his mothers spirit visiting him. Theo had a very high fever which probably cause a hallucination of what he wanted to see most- his mother.
I wish that the final state of Theo's relationship with Kitsey was less murky. Apparently, they are still technically engaged but nobody says anything about it and it's obvious that they are not going to get married. I never liked Kitsey; she is too perfect and seems to have no depth as a person, which is the opposite of Theo. I understand that breaking it off with Kitsey might hurt Mrs. Barbour, and Theo values Mrs. Barbour a lot, so maybe that's why they are still engaged, but still. It would be very uncomfortable for Theo to ignore the elephant in the room when he is having dinner at their apartment. I wish Pippa and Theo had been compatible. I liked Pippa, but what she said was true about what would happen if they got together. She and Theo are too alike, and their relationship would be precarious since neither one is able to be strong enough to hold the other up.
In the Bible Paul was on the road to Damascus. Now he was stopped and his life was dramatically changed, since he had nothing and he had to give his everything to God. Now obviously Theo is not Paul, but he is going through a similar trial in a sense. Theo had to turn himself in so he would not get into a worse consequence. He had nothing, so he had to do what was the only possible variable to come out with a better consequence.
“… it is a glory and a privilege to love what Death doesn’t touch.” Ask yourself what Death doesn’t touch… The first thing that I can think of is love. Death can’t touch love. I believe that there is love before life, love during life, and love after life. Death has no effect on the power of love. It is evident in The Goldfinch that this is true. Theo is surrounded by death and grief, but one thing that isn’t affected is his love for the people in his life. Death doesn’t affect the unwavering love for his mother. Lexi mentioned the quote “So- maybe when Andy washed up spitting and coughing into the country on the far side of the water, maybe my mother was the very one who knelt down by his side to greet him on the foreign shore.” This quote presents the thought and importance that Theo’s mother meant to him because although she is dead, she isn’t totally gone.
The advertisement on page 707 is quite intriguing and is very true. Some things in our lives don’t mean a lot because they are just there, whereas, some things that we come into contact with dwell strong in our minds or hearts for a lifetime. One example that I can think of is new life. Actually seeing a baby bird crack through its shell and take its first breath of fresh air is actually a really cool thing. But at the same time, you know that birds are born every day, but the one moment you actually witness the miracle of life, it sticks with you forever. It is the same thing with Theo. There are millions of paintings in the world but The Goldfinch stuck with him because it’s the painting he saw with his mother seconds before the explosion at the museum.
I feel that getting engaged to Kitsey was a poor decision in the first place. Kitsey is very shallow, and Theo's love for her was not very convincing. Theo is still engaged to Kitsey, but at the same time they are separated. It is clear that their marriage will never occur. From the very beginning I hoped that Pippa and Theo would end up together, but it was obvious that their dependency on each other would cause a relationship to never last, even when Pippa confessed her true feeling for Theo.
Life itself is not a catastrophe, but the choices a person makes can make it just that, and sadly that is exactly what Theo does. A few things however were completely out of his reach. He didn't ask for his parents to die. He didn't beg to have his dad be an alcoholic when he was alive, but he did choose his reactions to these things. His perpetual drug use starting at such a young age changed his bright future. Perhaps the most detrimental thing to Theo's life however was taking the painting. Because of this simple action, he lived his whole life in fear. It caused him extreme amounts of anxiety and overall confusion and no matter what he did the idea that he could get caught lingered in the back of his mind for a huge part of his life. This on top of his constant misfortune made his life a catastrophe, but to say life is a catastrophe by itself is not true.
Hobie is more like a dad to Theo for many reasons. first, Hobie actually taught Theo skills that he can use all his life. next, Hobie actually cared for Theo, he didn't just want his money like Theo's dad. Finally, Hobie always cared for Theo and took Theo into his home even after a few years.
I think Theo's mother did visit him. Theo is at the most extreme low in his life where he is literally making his death bed (choosing suicide). His mother shows up in his dream to motivate him to keep living. Theo's options in Amsterdam with everything gone wrong; losing his phone, losing Boris, losing the painting (again), and losing his passport, he should just wait for Boris to meet up with him. He can't go anywhere without his passport, so why not make the most of it. He can also call Horst in the United States for Boris's number. He can say they went to Europe for vacation and got split up with each other so that Horst is not suspicious about them recovering the painting.
Theo should never have proposed to Kitsey because he was still not over Pippa. Theo has always rushed into things because of his feelings that he doesn't know how to handle properly. Even though Pippa and Theo relied on each other quite a lot, that is part of a relationship that Theo and Pippa do not have.
I feel that the final state of Theo’s relationship with both Kitsey and Pippa are perfectly reasonable. Theo and Pippa both know that they share a deep connection ever since the bombing, but by the end of the book Theo realizes that it was best for both of them if they were to be just friends. This is a smart decision as any swings in mood greatly affect both of them and make their lives harder. With Theo and Kitsey, I understand the situation. A fiancé that has cheated on you forever instills a sense of mistrust into the relationship and romantic relations after that are quite difficult if not impossible. I see why Theo sticks around though, attending dinners and family events with the Barbour’s. The family atmosphere and familiarity of the people surrounding him are a way for him to still have fun in a relaxed atmosphere, something Theo definitely needs in his current situation.
I believe the quote at the end of the novel is very intriguing. It's telling us that we will have our highs and lows, but in the end the most important, is was we weren't ever searching for. We get our minds so set on one idea, and we forget to look closer into the looking glass. We forget about the greater things. This quote shows a lot about the novel and the story itself, and how things eventually play out in the story.
Ever since hobie entered the book he hasn't left theo even when he had problems of his own. He learned everything he knows about art and antique furniture because of hobie. He was there to cook, clean, and give advice to theo. His real father had what was coming to him and karma did its job well. Hobie would have been the best dad for theo. He could have helped theo a lot through his mothers death or his addiction. Theo's life would have turned out so much better and with little tragedy had hobie been his dad.
Theo and Kitsey’s engagement was a huge mistake. She is cold- hearted, rude, and shallow, not to mention that Theo’s “love” for her seems very staged. When they’re engaged, they’re separated, which is a huge sign that getting married is a huge mistake. It’s irritating that Theo and Pippa won’t be together, even though it wouldn’t work out.
I think Theo's mother really did show up because of what situation Theo was in. He was desperate for anything as he was about to choose between a matter of life and death, His mother coming in a dream to talk to him was exactly what he need at nearly the lowest point in his life. His mother was there for in that very moment almost as a sort of last resort to help him. Everything else that could possibly go wrong, did. He lost his phone, passport, the painting for a second time, and Boris. How much more did he have to lose at this point?
Saying that life is a catastrophe but it can be played with a kind of joy reminds me very much of the Orson Welles classic; Citizen Kane. Charles Foster Kane was a newspaper tycoon who had all the wealth and power in the world, but he allowed his wealth and power to isolate himself from friends, family, and other joys in life. Kane was miserable, but that was covered up by a massive palace he built that was filled with artifacts and art from all around the globe. Kane feels that life is a catastrophe because he is so alone, like Theo. Losing his parents, drug use, and living in fear due to the painting have made life feel lonely and catastrophic for Theo.
The only thing that I agree with in Theo's fathers view is that there are some things in this world that are simply too weird to control. I do believe that humans control their own destiny and we put our lives wherever we decide to. However there are some factors that we can't control or change. We can never know what they are because they are just too random and against the odds.
I think truth beyond illusion is entirely too vague to answer. Truth, beauty, and love are entirely subjective and people find all three in many different places. I can find love and truth in my instruments or a song while some may find it in a baseball or a book or a ballet shoe. Illusions are simply what we don't understand, but once we do understand it, we may see some truth, beauty, or love in it.
Hobie is more like a dad than Theo's real dad because he taught Theo. He taught Theo to run a business - not how to rob people of their money obviously. He brought Theo in to a family business, which basically brings him into a family he never trule had. Hobie does all the things that a father should, basic things. He makes Theo homemade dinner, celebrates holidays with each other, teaches him to be a gentleman, anything along those lines. Theo's father was never around and never there to encourage him to go to school and never seemed to care about how well he did. He didn't have a real job wheread Hobie did. All in all, Hobie was more of a dad to Theo than what Mr. Decker ever was.
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