The Goldfinch: Part 2, Chapter 6 Summary & Analysis

A year passes. Boris and Theo continue their routine of hanging out and getting drunk together, while Boris teaches Theo Russian. The two of them are constantly laughing, although they are now so close that they often don’t feel the need to speak aloud to one another at all. They both show signs of malnourishment and Theo’s teeth are rotting, but he mostly feels pretty happy. However, this all changes shortly after Theo turns 15, when Boris meets a girl he calls Kotku, a nickname that comes from the Polish word for “Kitty cat.” Her real name is “Kylie or Keiley or Kaylee.” She is three years older than Theo, but only one grade ahead of the boys in school.

Boris meets Kotku when he buys weed from her, and immediately announces to Theo that he is “in love.” Kotku wears a lot of black and has orange-and-black streaked hair. Theo thinks she’s “cute—hot, even,” but downplays this to Boris. Boris is especially thrilled that she is 18, and looks even older. At school, Kotku has a reputation for being a “slut,” and there is a rumor that her mother is a sex worker. Theo doesn’t care about Kotku’s bad reputation, but he is horrified by the way she has “assumed ownership of Boris.” The couple hang out more and more frequently, leaving Theo totally alone. The first time the three of them hang out together, Theo admits that he finds her a little “desperate,” but to Boris this is part of her charm.

Kotku actually already has a boyfriend, a 26 year old pool cleaner, but Boris insists that she wants to break up with him. Boris invites Theo to Kotku’s house, telling him to bring a girl called Hadley from school, but Theo refuses. He says that Hadley is “on the honor roll,” and therefore not likely to want to hang out with Kotku. Boris is furious, (correctly) guessing that Hadley has said negative things about Kotku, but Theo assures him this isn’t true. They are both drunk, and Theo doesn’t want them to fight. 

Many other girls have crushes on Boris, including the hottest girl in their year at school. However, Boris isn’t interested in them. He dismisses girls who “work too hard,” saying he likes Kotku because “she is like us [him and Theo].” Theo is disturbed by the implication that he is a delinquent. Kotku and her mother live in a grim hotel-like establishment called the Double R Apartments, and Boris has been spending more and more time there. When he sees Theo, he won’t stop speaking about Kotku. Boris emphasizes that Theo should spend more time with her, saying that she likes him like “a little brother.”

Theo looks down on Kotku because she is unintelligent, but he is also afraid of her. He is devastated by the impact on his friendship with Boris. He feels that there is no word to describe their bond. Now, he misses Boris desperately, and spends time getting high alone, hanging out with other kids he barely knows, and practicing skateboarding. Boris would frequently steal little things from Theo, but was also so generous with him that Theo didn’t really mind.

A physical intimacy also developed between them, which initially surprised and embarrassed Theo. This mostly consisted of embracing each other as they slept, although there were also other nights when, high and drunk, the intimacy would turn sexual. Theo concludes that this is “fun and not that big of a deal,” and because they never talk about it, it mostly doesn’t even seem real. Now, Theo misses Boris even more because of the drinking and fights that have been escalating between Larry and Xandra. Larry is mostly in a good mood because football season has begun. He chatters away to Theo, explaining his tactics and telling him that “this has been a really amazing year for me.”

When Theo comes downstairs to watch Larry betting, Larry hands him $20 or even $50, saying this is to pique his interest in gambling. Theo at times finds it difficult to keep up with what Larry is doing, but enjoys spending time with him in this state all the same. Sometimes, Larry’s elation gives way to a mysterious look of “unease,” which Theo doesn’t think is caused by the game going badly but rather something else. Theo always gets an uneasy feeling himself when the games draw to a close, and at this point he goes up into his room, smokes weed, and looks at library books which remind him of Audrey. 

Theo once tried to look up information about The Goldfinch on the computer at school, but panicked once he landed on the website of the Missing Art Database, which asked him to sign in with a name and email address. He feels paranoid that investigators may have tracked him to Las Vegas and regrets searching for information about the painting from his school’s IP address. The Goldfinch is still in Theo’s room, wrapped in a pillowcase which is taped to his headboard. Having learned from Hobie about how delicate antique objects are, Theo only ever touches the painting by the very edges. He likes taking it out to look at occasionally, because if he stares at it long enough, nothing else in the whole world seems real.

Theo reads about the explosion that killed Fabritius and reflects on the way in which the world is governed by chance. When Theo stares at The Goldfinch, it is like the world stands still for a moment, and he is enveloped in an awestruck peace. Most of the time, he doesn’t think about the chain on the little bird’s ankle, holding it in place. 

Larry has been extremely kind to Theo lately, taking him out for fancy dinners every week. Although Boris sometimes comes too, to Theo’s surprise he actually prefers it when it is just him and Larry. At one dinner, Larry says, “I really have enjoyed getting to know you since you’ve been out here, Theo,” and Theo is moved to the point of feeling embarrassed. Larry thanks Theo for giving him “a second chance” and apologizes for abandoning him. He says he always felt left out within their family because Theo and Audrey were so close, but adds that this isn’t an excuse for how he behaved. Larry then says he wants to put $10,000 in a savings account for Theo, and asks for Theo’s social security number so he can open one in Theo’s name.

Theo hasn’t seen Boris much lately, but a few weeks before Thanksgiving Boris comes over to Theo’s house and tells him that Larry has been having a “bad run” lately. Theo has no knowledge of this, and asks if Larry isn’t perhaps “bullshitting” Boris. Boris admits this might be true, because it can sometimes be hard to know if Larry is being earnest or playful. Theo points out that Larry has a tendency to exaggerate his misfortunes, and Boris agrees. Boris announces that he is hungry, and when Theo points out there is nothing in the house, Boris decides to go to Kotku’s.

Although they are still passionately obsessed with each other, Boris and Kotku have started fighting constantly. Kotku’s boyfriend is no longer an issue, as he has joined the Coast Guard, although Kotku still spends long periods of time on the phone with him. Meanwhile, Boris is extremely paranoid and jealous about other boys from school being interested in her.

Back at Theo’s house, just after Boris leaves, the doorbell rings—the only time Theo has ever heard this happen since moving to Las Vegas. Theo answers it to find a tan, thin man standing before him, wearing gold-rimmed sunglasses, a cowboy shirt, and a toupee. The man calls Popper “cute” and says that he has three dogs of his own at home. Theo introduces himself, and the man observes that he must be from Manhattan. The man himself explains that he is from Canarsie, and is named Naaman Silver. After chatting away about his family history for a while, Silver asks if Larry is at home.

When Theo says Larry isn’t, Mr. Silver replies, “I’m gonna be straight with you […] I got five points on your dad.” He says that Theo doesn’t need to know what this means, adding that he doesn’t usually like coming to a person’s house, but that he was forced to because Larry is difficult to track down. At this moment the phone rings, and although Theo tries to ignore it, Mr. Silver insists that he answer. Theo is unsurprised to hear that it is Boris. He tells Boris he can’t talk right now, and when he returns, Mr. Silver suspects that it was Larry on the phone, even though Theo insists it wasn’t. Mr. Silver goes to leave, asking that Theo tell Larry he came by, and to say that “gambling’s for tourists […] not locals.”

Half an hour later Boris returns, fuming that Kotku is not answering her phone. Theo tries to tell Boris about Mr. Silver, but Boris barely listens. He is convinced that she’s hanging out with another boy from school. The boy also calls her “Kotku,” stealing Boris’ pet name. Theo, meanwhile, is very high, and having an intense experience sucking on a peppermint. Boris jokes that if Larry doesn’t pay Mr. Silver, he’s going to end up facing “the Three Rs”: “Revolver, roadside, or roof.”

When Larry comes back and Theo tells him about Mr. Silver, Theo can tell he is trying to act causal, but that he might actually be very disturbed by this news. Larry asks that Theo doesn’t mention Mr. Silver to Xandra. Larry spots the end of the joint in the ashtray and asks where Theo and Boris have been buying weed. Without answering, Theo asks if everything is alright. Larry vaguely assures him that it is, before saying he’s going upstairs to make some calls.

Theo goes back to his room and locks the door, distressed about The Goldfinch, which he thinks is not safe in the house. He considers storing it in his locker at school, and although this is risky—in large part because there are random locker inspections—he figures it would be better than leaving it at home to be discovered by Larry or Mr. Silver. He takes the painting out of its careful wrapping and looks at it, once again experiencing the same profound sense of peace and reassurance. He then wraps the painting back up, returns it to the pillowcase, and places it in his book bag. Trying to go to sleep, he is wracked with anxiety, and he focuses on a Hart Crane poem he is studying for school to calm himself. 

The next day at school, Kotku has a cut lip. When Theo asks Boris about it, Boris admits that he hit her, but says, “I didn’t want to […] She made me!” Theo replies that he doesn’t care because he has his own problems to worry about. That night, Larry comes home in a spectacular mood, having picked up Chinese food for dinner. When Xandra goes off to wash the dishes, Theo asks if he sorted everything out with Mr. Silver, and Larry explains that “it was just a mix-up.” Apparently, when Larry went to meet Silver by the pool at Caesar’s Palace, all Silver could talk about was how nice Theo was. 

At school, Boris and Theo discuss Boris hitting Kotku again, and Boris implies that he wanted to hurt her. However, then he excitedly tells Theo that he and Kotku dropped acid last night. He says it was “fantastic” and that he still has some left. He explains that everything in the world felt connected and “friendly,” and he and Kotku made up and realized how in love they were. He admits that he is still a little high now. 

A week passes, and Theo decides it’s safe to bring The Goldfinch home from school. When he takes it out of the pillowcase, he sees that it has been re-wrapped intensely, which Theo blames on how high he was when he did it. He gets a kitchen knife and begins carefully sawing through one corner, but at this moment he hears Xandra downstairs and hastily hangs it back in the pillowcase behind his headboard. Boris has promised that he and Theo will take the remaining hits of acid soon, suggesting they go to the abandoned playground where they’ve gone before to take ecstasy.

Theo’s calm mood is soon destroyed by Larry pulling him aside and asking him to call Audrey’s lawyer. Theo is surprised; he was barely aware that Audrey even had a lawyer. Larry explains that he wants to quit gambling while he’s ahead. He says he knows that he is an alcoholic, and that although he’s been careful thus far, gambling might bring out his “addictive tendencies” sooner or later. He says that he’s hoping to invest in a new restaurant with a friend, and that he needs a large sum to start off with in order to pay the hefty “restaurant taxes.” Theo says it’s ok if Larry wants to use the money he put in his savings account. 

Larry seems briefly confused, then says that he’s actually thinking of another solution—something that will only be “short-term.” He asks Theo to call Audrey’s lawyer and speak to him himself. Theo is confused. Larry asks that Theo explain that it’s him, then ask to send over $65,000 for private school fees. Startled, Theo says he doesn’t want to go to private school. Larry explains that the money is for the restaurant, which will soon start turning such a huge profit that they will all be rich. When Theo begins to protest, Larry mocks him and anxiously urges him to make the call. Out of nowhere, he slaps Theo.

Larry is now holding Theo and screaming at him, threatening to beat him up if he doesn’t do exactly what Larry is asking. Tears automatically fall from Theo’s eyes, and Larry apologizes weakly, demanding that Theo trust him. He insists that this is only a temporary solution so he can pay off creditors in order to get the restaurant running. Theo calls the number and asks to speak to Audrey’s lawyer, Mr. Bracegirdle. To his surprise, the sympathetic voice on the other line says that the two of them have actually met before.

Theo then remembers Mr. Bracegirdle coming to the Barbours’ apartment not long after Audrey’s death. Now, Bracegirdle fondly reminisces about how he and Audrey met by chance, then developed a “beautiful friendship.” He notes that when he came to visit Theo at the Barbours’ he briefly mentioned Audrey’s estate, but that it wasn’t the right time to discuss it properly. Prompted by an angry look from Larry, Theo blurts out that he wants to go to private school. Bracegirdle seems surprised, but then grows encouraging, and a long discussion ensues about elite schools on the East Coast.

Theo asks if Audrey left him any money, and Bracegirdle replies that she was too mired in her own financial struggles to leave him much, but that she did set up a 529, plus a “little UTMA,” a fund that can be used for education purposes only. When Theo asks if it's possible for Bracegirdle to transfer him $65,000, Bracegirdle’s tone shifts, and he sternly declares that this isn’t possible at all. He explains that whatever school or college Theo was attending would have to retrieve the money from the UTMA directly. Bracegirdle continues to chat about the other regulations and features of the money Audrey left, then concludes that she probably set it up this way in order to avoid Larry accessing it.

Bracegirdle then explains that about two months after Audrey’s death, someone came to the bank in Manhattan and tried to withdraw money from Audrey’s account using a forged signature. He asks if Theo received the letter he wrote on this matter, and Theo says he didn’t. Bracegirdle explains that he recently received a suspicious phone call from someone pretending to be Theo’s lawyer. Whoever it was had Theo’s social security number and was requesting “a rather large line of credit in [Theo’s] name.” As Bracegirdle explains that Theo shouldn’t worry because the account is secured, Theo is shocked into silence. When he gets off, Larry lets out a howl so dramatic that it sounds like he’s being tortured.   

Later that night, Boris and Theo sit in the playground, waiting for the acid to kick in. Boris says that Larry told him Theo had a “fortune.” He then says that he has some news of his own: his father has to move to Australia for work, then probably back to Russia. Boris insists that he isn’t going with him and that he is going to run away instead. When Theo asks if Kotku is coming, Boris looks sad and says he doesn’t know. At that moment, Theo feels the acid start working. Boris explains that while both he and Kotku have experienced homelessness, it was much worse for her. She left home because her mother’s boyfriend was abusing her, and she ended up doing sex work to survive.

Theo suddenly apologizes for not liking Kotku, and Boris admits that she doesn’t like Theo either. They discuss how it looks like they are inside an old black-and-white film, and then burst into hysterical laughter. Theo is stunned by the way in which he can imagine something and then make it true, and how everything seems light and funny. It ends up being one of the best nights of his life.

Boris stays over at Theo’s house, and the next day they laze around, watching cartoons, drinking orange juice, and smoking weed. At around 3.30pm, the doorbell rings. Boris goes to answer it, but immediately comes back, looking frightened. Mr. Silver is at the door, accompanied by a large, tattooed man holding a baseball bat. He greets Theo warmly, but then goes on to ask if Larry is at home, saying he has a “problem” with him. Theo can see that there are more men sitting in Mr. Silver’s parked car. He says that Larry owes him $50,000 and has been avoiding him. He says that next time he comes round, he won’t “be so nice.”  

Once Silver and his men leave, Boris admits that he’s basically eaten nothing for two days. Although acid suppresses one’s appetite, he can feel that his stomach is a mess, and Theo says he will look around for money so they can go out for pancakes. Theo splashes water on his face and observes the bruise from where Larry hit him. Just as they are getting ready to leave, they spot Xandra, who is standing “with a funny look on her face.” She announces that Larry has been in a car accident, and that the hospital called her at work. His blood alcohol content was .39%. Theo asks when Larry is coming home from the hospital. Sitting down with the same strange expression, Xandra says that Larry is dead. 

During the rest of the day, Xandra’s friends come over, some of whom are surprisingly nice and “normal.” Boris shares his weed with everyone, and someone even manages to get Domino’s to deliver to the house, something that Theo has never been able to do himself. Over the course of the evening, Theo learns that Larry had veered into the opposite side of the highway, straight into a tractor-trailer, killing him immediately. Others were hurt, but fortunately no one else died. Xandra is far less concerned about Larry’s blackout state than the fact that he had been heading west of Las Vegas, into the desert. She is confused and devastated that he seemed to be fleeing without telling her.

Theo is in a state of shock and doesn’t cry. Xandra goes back and forth from seeming fine to collapsing into tears. At one point Boris tells Theo he has to go, because he promised Kotku he would meet her at her mother’s apartment. Theo begs him to stay, and after calling Kotku, Boris says he will stay there. Xandra has obviously taken a pill or two and is almost unconscious; Boris and one of her friends carry her upstairs to bed. The friend offers to stay and seems on the verge of leaning in to make out with Boris, but Theo aggressively signals that she should leave. 

With everyone gone and Xandra unconscious, Boris and Theo rifle through her things. They take $229 in cash from her wallet, and Theo sees that her real name is actually “Sandra.” They find something that looks like a Coke can, but realize it has things inside it, and they screw off the top to reveal its contents. There is cash in there, as well Audrey’s earrings, which disappeared just before Larry abandoned her and Theo. Boris, meanwhile, has found a large amount of cocaine. He taps some out and sniffs, offering the bill to Theo. Theo refuses, even as Boris insists that it will make him feel better.

Boris observes that Xandra has about four or five eight balls, and suggests they keep one for themselves and sell the rest. Theo counts the cash, which comes to $1,321, and splits it evenly between himself and Boris. He says this will be enough for both of them to buy plane tickets. Boris is shocked that Theo is suggesting that they leave tonight, but Theo insists they have to flee before Child Protection Services come and place him into care. Boris says he feels bad for Xandra, but Theo insists, “She doesn’t want me.” Boris says he doesn’t want to go to New York, suggesting California instead. Even though neither of them knows anyone there, Theo agrees, as long as they leave that night.

Boris repeats that he needs more time. He says he has something important to tell Theo, but he is worried Theo will be angry. Furious, Theo simply starts packing his things. Boris asks what Theo will do in New York, and Theo says he will call Andy. Boris reminds Theo he’d previously said that the Barbours didn’t want him, but now Theo dismisses this. Popper runs over, and Theo suddenly realizes he doesn’t have a plan of what to do with the dog. He considers taking the train, just so he can bring Popper. At that moment, Xandra wakes up and asks a nonsensical question, but after Boris tells her not to worry and go back to sleep, she disappears again.

Boris offers Theo his phone to call a cab, then tells Theo to keep it. He asks if Boris will join him in a couple of days, and Boris says he “won’t say no,” although his tone implies otherwise. Theo is feeling more and more delirious, struggling not to collapse. Boris once again offers him cocaine, promising that it will help him sober up. Theo doesn’t believe him, but takes some anyway. The result is like a “miracle”: he instantly feels better. Boris explains that he could sell the amount they took from Xandra to the rich, popular girls in school for thousands of dollars.

As both the boys take cocaine, Theo starts to talk enthusiastically about their life in New York together. Boris grabs Theo and kisses him on the mouth, then kisses Popper. He points out that Theo’s cab has arrived. He wishes Theo luck and says, “I won’t forget you.” Later, Theo regrets not asking one more time for Boris to join him. More than anything though, he regrets that he didn’t say “I love you.”

When Theo asks the cab driver to take them to the train station, the driver informs him that dogs are not allowed on the Amtrak. He suggests that Theo get the bus instead, although he is not sure if minors are allowed to buy bus tickets without parental permission. Theo thinks about spreading Audrey’s ashes in Central Park, which he did even though it is technically forbidden. The driver turns around and tells Theo that he will need to put Popper in a bag. At the station, the woman at the ticket office tells Theo that anyone under 15 can’t get a ticket without parental permission. Fortunately, Theo has a New York ID that confirms he is 15. 

Theo also sees a sign stipulating that no animals of any kind are permitted on the bus, so he decides to conceal Popper. Fortunately, there is a bus leaving soon, at 1.45am, with a connection to New York. At this moment, the cab driver walks over and reveals a cardboard box inside a bag in which he’s concealed Popper beneath. He explains that the box ensures that the bag doesn’t look “dog-shaped.” The driver gives Theo some potato chips and advises him to keep subtly feeding them to Popper during the journey. He then urges Theo not to look at the bag, as this will attract attention to it. The driver then reveals that he’s a part-time magician, and the tips he’s given Theo are drawn from magic.

Theo struggles to sleep on the bus, but is at least glad that Popper doesn’t make any noise. When they get off in Colorado, he and Popper are overjoyed to run around, and Theo even spots a hippie coffee shop where he buys food for himself and vegetarian dog biscuits for Popper. On the bus, Theo reads Wind, Sand and Stars. In Kansas, they have another rest stop, and Theo and Popper get to run around again. Back on the bus, they finally both manage to sleep. They have an hour and a half layover in St. Louis, giving Theo time to walk Popper again. They get back on a different bus, and Theo falls asleep quickly, only to be woken by the bus driver, who tells him, “You can’t have that dog on the bus.”

Theo panics, and the driver repeats the same sentence. However, she then turns around and asks the other passengers if they have a problem with Popper. No one responds, and so she says Theo can stay on the bus for now, as long as no one complains. As the driver walks away and Theo flushes with relief, he wonders about how he grew so attached to Popper, who isn’t a particularly smart or cool dog, but rather feminine, toy-like, “gay.” For a while, he feels too tense to go back to sleep, but eventually drifts off again. He has sent Boris several texts that have gone unanswered. When they get to Buffalo he sends another.

By the time the bus finally pulls into Port Authority, it is evening, and Theo, feverish, has difficulty walking. The city is “so much dirtier and unfriendlier than [he’d] remembered.” He craves a drink, and longs for Mr. Pavlikovsky’s readily available supply of vodka. He is so hungry that he turns into an expensive cupcake shop and immediately buys the first cupcake he sees, which instantly makes him feel better. Theo worries about bringing Popper to the Barbours’, because Andy is allergic to dogs. Passing the New York Public Library and Central Park, Theo finally feels a sense of returning home. It makes him expect Audrey to be waiting in their apartment, asking him what he wants for dinner. 

Suddenly, Theo sees Mr. Barbour right in front of him, carrying his briefcase, obviously on his way home from work. He runs up to him, calling his name. However, when Theo catches up Mr. Barbour violently pushes him away, saying, “No more handouts! […] Get lost!” Although Theo “ought to have known mania when [he] saw it,” instead he just feels overcome with embarrassment. He falls back, dodging a creepy man and running further into the park. He looks at his phone to find a text from Boris, saying he hopes Theo isn’t too angry and asking that he rings Xandra, who has been hassling him. Theo tries to call Boris but he doesn’t pick up.

Theo buys three hot dogs from a park vendor, giving one to Popper. He feels baffled that he is only five blocks from the Barbours’, and yet now feels unable to go there. A creepy man approaches him, and he dashes away. He walks ten blocks south, but eventually feels too cold and tired and jumps in a cab. He feels bad about showing up at Hobie’s house without any prior warning, especially because ever since Boris’ comment about Hobie being an “old poofter” Theo stopped responding to his letters. Now he feels consumed by guilt.

Arriving at Hobie’s house, Theo sees that the shop is shut up and dark. Theo begins to think through his slim options when suddenly the door opens to reveal Pippa, “dressed like a boy.” She greets Theo with polite formality, and he realizes that she doesn’t remember him. However, when he introduces himself she embraces him in a tight hug, welcoming him inside and asking him a barrage of questions. Seeing Popper, Pippa laughs and picks him up. Theo is overwhelmed with relief. In the kitchen, Theo eats mushroom soup and tells Hobie and Pippa the whole story of how he got here. Hobie insists that Theo needs to call Xandra and explain where he is.

Reluctantly, Theo calls Xandra, explaining that he has taken Popper with him. Xandra says she “ought to call the cops” on Theo, because she knows he and Boris stole from her. Theo replies that she stole Audrey’s earrings, but Xandra says Larry gave them to her as a gift. She warns Theo that the way he and Boris are headed, they will both be in prison before they are eighteen. After she says she can’t blame Theo because neither of his parents were that great, Theo tells her, “Fuck you.” Xandra then apologizes, and asks Theo if he's ok with Larry being cremated. She then asks for an address she can give child services, so they don’t treat Theo as a missing person.

Theo says that Xandra can give the address of his lawyer, Bracegirdle, telling her to look him up herself. In response to Theo’s rudeness, Xandra emphasizes that Larry was Theo’s father, and Theo seems to care less about his death than he would if Popper died. Theo replies, “Let’s say I cared about him exactly as much as he did about me.” Xandra says that Theo and Larry are more similar than Theo realizes. Although Theo angrily hangs up, these words haunt him.