Theo Decker is a thirteen- year-old boy, living in New York. After he survives a bombing and his mother does not, his world is flipped upside down. In The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, Theo is thrown into the world alone. He is sent to live with a wealthy friend, the Barbours, and is forced by many to recall the gnarled scene of the accident. Theo ventures to meet someone who was at the bombing as well and meets an old man named Hobie, and the curious redheaded little girl from the museum, Pippa. Theo is greatly conflicted with the whereabouts of his mother, the thought of moving to his grandparents, and his willingness to open up to the Adults in his life.
The first main conflict in The Goldfinch is when Theo is home alone after the accident waiting for his mother; “…and besides if I left the apartment, I was scared I missed her call” (Tartt 62). Theo is so set that his mother…show more content… Theo has opened up to only a few people; “I shrugged. Aside from Andy, I told no one about going down on the bus to Pippa’s house,” (Tartt 149). He has a hard time connecting with any of the adults in his life, and he knows they would press him heavily if he told them about Hobie and Pippa, so he’s kept them secret. While visiting Hobie, Theo told him many things he hadn’t spoken of before to anyone else. He has a hard time relating to most of the people in his life at the moment, and doesn’t know quite how to speak to them. Theo feels like a “troubled” kid when he’s around them and when he is with Hobie, or Andy he doesn’t feel that way, he feels normal. After visiting Hobie, Theo becomes more open, regains his appetite, and seems in a better mood than usual. This is incredibly important, because Theo is showing growth and progress, something that seemed impossible before. Although he is making progress, he still is hesitant about opening up to those around
