- Theo’s life revolves around physical objects, but is also dictated by the tragedy of chance. Discuss how these forces shape Theo.
- THE
GOLDFINCH is obsessed with intertexts --- references to other works of
literature, music, film and art (e.g. WALDEN, THE IDIOT, SILAS MARNER,
“Spiegel im Spiegel,” The Magnificent Seven, and, obviously, The Goldfinch, to name a few). How do these artistic
touchstones inform the novel, especially Theo and Boris’s cultural
education in
- Good people in the book do bad things; bad people do good. When does a good person become bad, and vice versa?
- Why was so much time spent describing the drug scenes? Did this detract or add to the book? Why were these scenes necessary?
- How do you feel about the final chapter’s meta-narrative turn, in which Theo pivots to address his reader directly? Are his summative philosophic musings helpful or heavy handed? How would you have closed the novel?
Courtesy ReadingGroupGuides.com readers
