The Goldfinch

The motif of illegal substances is a prominent feature of these chapters. Substances become a significant part of Theo’s new life in Las Vegas and represent the forces of chaos. Both of his caregivers, Larry and Xandra, regularly use drugs. Xandra often takes cocaine, and “one afternoon we came in when my dad wasn’t home and saw her straightening up from the coffee table with a sniff, holding her hair back behind her neck with one hand” (259). Larry takes Vicodin and drinks beers, and Theo notes, “the new, drugged-out Dad was a much more pleasant and predictable companion than the Dad of old” (228). These substances point toward the instability and unpredictability of Theo’s new life. Also the people who should provide stability for him are unable to do so.

This instability becomes a part of Theo’s own person as he himself abuses substances. Boris is a heavy drinker and often drinks vodka. Theo slowly begins to drink as well, and as time goes on, he and Boris seem to be almost constantly drunk, wiling away the days at Theo’s house by the pool. They get into harder drugs and take ecstasy from Kotku. After Larry’s death, Boris encourages Theo to take cocaine, and “I leaned forward and allowed him to press one nostril closed with a fingertip” (351). By using these substances, Theo at once is connecting to his new friend Boris and also distancing himself from reality. He is displaced and in pain, and one way he can survive is through zoning out on drugs and alcohol.

Color also continues to figure as a motif in this section. It acts as a marker or a beacon for truth. For example, when Theo packs The Goldfinch in his bag before leaving for Las Vegas, he notices, “the khaki canvas with the red label and the multicolored ribbon my mother had tied around the handle” (219). Here, the bag containing Theo’s most prized object stands out with the red label and the ribbon, which also points to the continuing influence of Audrey. The painting itself contains vibrant color, and when Theo looks at it in his new room, he notices that“[i]n the arid room […] the muted colors bloomed with life” (226). Here, the painting has the ability to infuse a barren room with life and vibrancy.

Color also points to more sinister aspects of the text. One day at school, Boris comes in with “a wine colored bruise under his eye” (257). Here, color marks the abuse that occurs in Boris’s home at the hands of his father. It points to a secret that is not fully in the open. Similarly, Theo discovers his mother’s earrings in Xandra’s purse, and “the blue-green transparency of the stones, their wicked three a.m. gleam, were as much a part of her as the color of her eyes or the spicy dark smell of her hair” (344). The stones’ vibrant color points to Larry’s deceit. In this way, color elucidates underlying truths and gives life to the action of the story.

Theo, as a character, continues to develop and form new alliances. His most significant one is with Boris, and “almost from that day we were together all the time, scrounging our meals and sharing what money we had” (245). The relationship, however, is fraught and filled with issues that remain unspoken. Despite their affection, violence infiltrates their relationship. After being abused by his father, Theo and Boris become drunk, and Boris attacks Theo. The two fight at Theo’s house and in Theo’s pool, where they both attempt to pull the other under water. They do not address this violence, but it acts as an undercurrent in their relationship. There is also a sexual charge to their relationship. Theo remains vague in his descriptions but hints that some sort of physical interplay occurs when the boys are drunk. This, too, remains unspoken and occurs only when the two are inebriated. However, when Theo leaves for New York, Boris kisses him on the lips, and Theo “stopped myself from blurting the thing on the edge of my tongue […] which was, of course, I love you.” (353)  

Through this and other relationships, Theo experiences a great deal of loss. When Boris starts dating Kotku, Boris spends much less time with Theo, and Theo “told myself I didn’t miss him, but I did” (299). Here, he has to start to reckon with his complex feelings for Boris but is unable to discuss them openly. Instead, he must deal with the loss silently, much like he has to deal with the loss of his mother. He also has lost the security of the Barbours’ home, and he says of his father and Xandra, “[l]iving with them was like living with roommates I didn’t particularly get along with” (232). He sustains yet another loss with the death of his father. Though the two were not close, Larry’s death nonetheless has an impact, if only logistical: Theo must find a new place to live. In this way, Theo goes through a series of displacements. His sense of home keeps shifting, from New York to Las Vegas, back to New York. So, too, does his sense of emotional security keep shifting with his closeness and distance with both Boris and his father.