There is no doubt that Boris and Theo -- uncared for and unwatched by any adults -- are both coping with the pain in their lives with self-medication and a mildly lawless attitude towards life. Now that Boris has a girlfriend, Theo begins to move away from that lifestyle more and spends more time with his father. Who appears to be more healthy for Theo, Boris or his father? Explain with support.
Tartt uses a lot of profane language in this section, largely in the interactions between Theo and Boris. In my creative writing class, I make it clear that if student writers are going to use profanity, that it must be purposeful. Seeing as this novel won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Literature, the writer must have demonstrated some important need for this type of language. If you were Tartt and you were in my creative writing class, how would you defend your use of that language? What purpose does it have to the story? How does it make the reader feel? How does it characterize these two boys? Is this, like any good novel, a mirror of the world as we know it? If so, how does language play into that, especially the violent, ugly nature of the language these two young men use towards each other?
Mr. Silver's first visit causes some anxiety for Theo, though his father kind of blows it off. Boris knows it could be big trouble, but it doesn't really seem to bother him much, either. Should there be concern? If so, how much?
Allusion Alert: Hart Crane poem and Silas Marner. Check them out. How might they be significant to the story?
Why do you think Theo keeps getting the painting out and looking at it...then wrapping it back up and putting it back? Why is he suddenly more paranoid about its safety?
Are you surprised by anything from Theo's conversation with Mr. Bracegirdle? What do we learn about Theo's father in this scene?
Theo loses his father and Boris in quick succession, though in very different ways. Why does he regret the loss of Boris more? Why does he say that it was better that he didn't take Boris with him? Do you think it's better?
While in many ways Boris was not good for Theo, I would argue that in many ways he was good for Theo. Theo has a knack for meeting strangers who are good for him. How is the magic cabbie good for him? The bus driver? What might have happened without these two strangers?
Why does Theo feel the painting is like a "holy icon"? How does it protect him?
Do you agree with Xandra -- that Theo is more like his father than he knows? What evidence of that have we seen so far?