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
Villon-sur-Sarthe, France. July 29, 1714. Adeline wakes to the sound of laughter. She opens her eyes and sees that the light has faded. “Hello?” she calls into the darkness. And then, before Adeline’s eyes, the darkness transforms into her stranger. The sight of him takes her breath away. The stranger tells Adeline that he’s ready to answer her prayers—but only if Adeline is ready to pay.
Addie has referred to a personified “darkness” in several sections thus far, and this scene clarifies what, exactly, that darkness is: the old god who answered her prayers—after dark. It’s an ominous sign that the god has taken the form of Adeline’s fantasy stranger—it seems that he's trying to tempt her, as the devil might. It’s increasingly clear that Adeline is dealing with dark forces that don’t have her best interest in mind. It’s also clear that Addie’s desire for freedom overrides her sense of caution.
Themes
Adeline falls to her knees and offers the wooden ring. The stranger laughs at Adeline. He explains that he only accepts “souls.” Then he asks Adeline what she wants from him. Adeline explains that she wishes not to marry. She also wants “a chance to live” and “to be free.” Finally, she says she “want[s] more time.” Does Adeline want “time without limit,” he asks? She says she does, but the darkness rejects her wish. Desperate, Adeline tries again. This time, she offers the stranger her soul—but only once she’s done with it. Then the darkness smiles, pulls Adeline close to him, kisses her deeply on the lips, and accepts Adeline’s deal. And then, Adeline descends into darkness.
This scene helps clarify how and why Adeline has managed to remain living for over 300 years: she sold her soul to the darkness/the stranger/the devil “to be free” and for “more time.” He seems to have given her the gift of immortality—but Estele warned Adeline to be careful what she asks of the gods, so it’s safe to assume that the darkness will twist Adeline’s wish in some negative, unforeseen way. Maybe this has something to do with the odd detail that everyone in the present, at least, can’t seem to remember Adeline.
Themes
