The Goldfinch Literary Analysis

The Goldfinch is a novel by Donna Tartt. The story focuses on the life of Theodore Decker, who loses his mother after a bomb blast during a visit to a local museum. The novel shows Theo's development as a teenager, his encounters, and struggles as an orphan. The book also traces Theo’s overall development from influenced child into a manipulating grown up, from innocence to expertise among other encounters. The Fortress of Solitude is a novel by Jonathan Lethem. The book’s plot revolves around the lives of two teenage friends, Mingus Rude and Dylan Ebdus, one white, and the other black where the two friends discover a magic ring. The books expound on the issues of music, self-discovery as well as race and culture. A contrast between the two books is noticeable in that the Goldfinch is told in a first-person narrative, where by, both the author and the main character, Theo narrates the story. On the other hand, the Fortress of Solitude is told in a third-person narrative throughout part "A", while part "B" uses first-person narrative and part "C" involves more of a distinctive conversation. Both books have various similarities about family. In the Fortress of Solitude, both young characters, Mingus, and Dylan are said to have lost their mothers. Similarly, in the Goldfinch novel, the main character, Theo, lost his mother during a

For example, cocaine is represented as a central object in the Fortress of Solitude. Both Dylan and his friend, Mingus have their lives influenced negatively due to the drug’s usage, as Dylan finds himself expelled from college and Mingus adult life is mostly spent in and out of jail. Besides, Mingus’ father, Barrett, due to drugs addiction has his life ruined. Similarly, in the Goldfinch novel, Theo, and his friend Boris are seen as users of such drugs as marijuana, alcohol and other illicit