Few people know the writer and novelist Donna Tartt among our compatriots. Meanwhile, this is a rising star in the West. During her career, she won a lot of awards among writers.
So today we will analyze the meaning of her latest novel, called The Goldfinch, so far. Get comfortable, it will be interesting!
Briefly about the main
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Donna Tartt has already received several prestigious awards in her literary career. Among others:
Pulitzer Prize; the Andrew Carneg Medal for the best fiction and non-fiction book produced in the United States; Malaparte Literary Prize.
It is known that the novel “Goldfinch” was written in honor of the painting of the same name, painted by Rembrandt’s student Fabricius in 1654. Karel Fabricius is considered the founder of the Delft school of painting, which is extremely widespread in Holland.
The novel, 800 pages long, the writer “brought to mind” for 10 years. That is, it took her about 4.5 days to write one page.
This is due to the fact that the book has a lot of detailed descriptions, well-developed plot twists, as well as interesting reflections. It is also noteworthy that a parallel can be drawn between the main characters of “The Goldfinch” and “Harry Potter”.
And this is understandable, because Donna Tartt herself has repeatedly confessed her love for this book series.
Well, we smoothly move on to a brief analysis of the plot without much spoilers.
The plot of the novel
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The protagonist of the novel is 13-year-old Theo Decker. He had to grow up quickly because of a tragedy that happened to him in an art museum. It so happened that he survived after the terrorist attack, arranged by unknown people at the center of culture.
He has few relatives left, so he is left to his own devices. Previously, his worst enemies were only his ever-drinking father and the principal of the school, whom he could not scold for anything. However, now everything has changed.
The doctor and psychologists diagnosed the boy with post-traumatic syndrome. It was the strongest stress, which completely interrupted his happy and serene childhood. Only great art, the support of a comrade and love can give him strength to go on and heal a spiritual wound.
A museum worker who dies in the arms of a boy in the museum asks to give his business partner a family ring. And he also asks him to steal a painting by a Dutch artist from a destroyed vault.
After a successful theft, the boy begins to see greatness in the painting and it helps him stay afloat. Acquaintance with the restorer Hobie gives him another impetus to move on. Theo is amazing how a craftsman creates real works of art out of junk that is long overdue for disposal.
What’s the point
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The main meaning of the novel “The Goldfinch” is the endless pursuit of perfection, as well as reflections on why beautiful things are created and what is their value. The answer to this question is given by the writer herself: “The purpose of beautiful things is to serve as a guide for some higher beauty.”
Tartt is trying to tell us that art can really help a person recover from mental and physical wounds, and can also give peace and comfort.
Thus, the life of the protagonist Theo becomes more joyful and happy from the realization that he possesses a rare treasure – a painting by a famous Dutch artist.
The writer also wants to convey to readers that art contributes to spiritual growth and purification of a person of a moral nature. And even contemplation of the beauty of great creators can replace hours of psychotherapy and medical practice.
This concludes our analysis. If you have any questions or suggestions, be sure to write in the comments.
And we have prepared other reviews for us. Here they are:
The Meaning of Boccaccio’s Decameron
How did the novel “Arc de Triomphe” by Remarque end?
The Meaning of Flaubert’s Madame Bovary
And we have it all. So see you soon on the pages of new articles. Peaceful sky above your head!
