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. September 4, 2013. “No,” Henry pleads as the rain beats down around him. But when Addie decides to do something, nobody can stop her. She tells Henry to think of it as a thank-you: for showing her what it feels like to be seen and loved. Now, Henry has a second chance to let people see him as he really is.
Addie’s first deal with Luc was inadvertently born of her selfish desire to live an exciting life, and she ultimately came to regret how that deal forced her to choose personal freedom over human connection. With this second deal, she is setting things right, sacrificing her personal freedom in order to selflessly help Henry.
Themes
Henry won’t back down. How can Addie go with Luc when she doesn’t love him? Addie just gives Henry a sad smile. Through tears, she reminds Henry that life goes by fast, and he’d better make the most of his. Then she makes him promise to remember her when she is gone. And even as she says this, her face begins to blur. And then she is gone, and Henry is falling.
Addie’s last words to Henry underscore the selflessness that has inspired her to make her new deal with Luc. She’s sacrificing herself so that Henry can have a second chance at life—and she has done so out of love for him.
Themes
