Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Memory and Meaning
Love and Vulnerability
Freedom
Art, Creativity, and Expression
Wonder and Knowledge
Summary
Analysis
New York City. March 11, 2014. When Addie wakes up in James’s apartment the next morning, it’s gray and rainy outside. Addie puts on records to fill the space, but it’s not the same as James’s company. She gets dressed, makes the bed, and heads out. “My name is Addie LaRue,” she repeats in her head. It’s been centuries, but she’s still afraid of forgetting who she is.
Addie has been repeating her personal mantra, “My name is Addie LaRue,” for 300 years. This shows that while Addie’s pursuit of freedom keeps her moving forward, so, too, does her fear of being forgotten.
Themes
Addie heads to the Met Museum to cheer herself up; she has always loved museums. Today, she walks inside and heads straight to her favorite sculpture, which features five wooden birds about to take flight. It’s called “Renevir,” or “To come back.” The artist is Arlo Miret. Addie never knew the man, yet his work depicts “a piece of her story, her past.”
Addie likes the bird carving because it reminds her of her father’s work. This scene also shows the power of art to immortalize old ideas and keep alive memories of people who have long since passed. Unlike Addie, who is rendered invisible all over again with each new day, this art—and the associations it has with Addie’s father—is visible for many centuries.
Themes
