Audrey Decker Character Analysis

Audrey is Theo’s mother. She dies very early in the novel, so most of what the reader learns about her comes in the form of Theo’s memories. As a beautiful young woman, she moved to New York City from Kansas and began working as a model, which allowed her to save up enough money to put herself through a BA and Master’s in Art History. However, Audrey then met and married Larry, and this put a stop to her burgeoning academic career. Audrey loved art, and she was always taking Theo to cultural institutions and events. Because Theo idolized her so much (and because the novel is narrated from his point of view), the reader gets the impression that Audrey is essentially a perfect person, and never learns if she has any flaws.