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. July 29, 2014. Addie tells herself that today is just a normal day—but it’s not. It’s now 300 years since she was supposed to be married. Henry tells Addie that Bea is covering for him at the store so they can spend the whole day together. But Addie is suddenly concerned: she doesn’t think it’s a good idea for them to spend the day together—what if Luc comes? Henry thinks Addie shouldn’t let Luc ruin this day for them. Addie agrees to spend daylight hours together.
That Addie describes today as the 300th anniversary of her would-be wedding reflects her fear of whatever Luc has in store for her: her apprehension is so great that she can’t even bear to reference her deal with Luc by name.
Themes
Addie and Henry go to the beach and have a great time. When they pack up later, Addie’s wooden ring falls into the sand. She thinks it’s a bad omen but tries to ignore it. The day passes faster than Addie can handle. She’s exhausted and sinks into Henry’s shoulder on the train ride home. “I love you,” Henry tells her. Addie wonders if what they have really is love. She tells Henry she loves him, too, and “wants it to be true.”
Addie’s uncertainty about how she feels about Henry hints at the vulnerability that loving relationships require of their participants. Faith and uncertainty are fundamental parts of love: part of loving somebody is trusting that they reciprocate one’s love, even if there’s no way to know this for sure. Sometimes things work out, and other times, they don’t, and people get hurt. But this, Addie is slowly learning, is the risk one must take if they want to experience fragile, mortal love.
Themes
