Xandra Character Analysis in The Goldfinch

Xandra is Larry’s girlfriend. Originally from Florida, she works as a waitress in Las Vegas. She is a cocaine addict who deals on the side, although Theo does not realize this immediately. Xandra initially resents having to live with Theo (and, even more so, with Boris), but she can sometimes show kindness to the boys. When Larry dies, Boris and Theo steal money and drugs from her, although it later emerges that Boris ends up living with her for a while after Theo escapes to New York.

Xandra Quotes in The Goldfinch

The The Goldfinch quotes below are all either spoken by Xandra or refer to Xandra . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Well, kid, guess what? I’ve been around the track a few times—I do know. He's going to end up in jail by the time he’s eighteen, that one, an dollars to doughnuts you’ll be right there with him.

Related Characters: Xandra (speaker), Theo Decker, Boris Pavlikovsky

Page Number and Citation: 368

Explanation and Analysis:

That was your father that died. Your own father. And you act like it was, I don’t know, I’d say the dog, but not even the dog. Because I know you’d care if it was the dog got hit by a car, at least I think you would.

Related Characters: Xandra (speaker), Theo Decker, Larry Decker

Page Number and Citation: 370

Explanation and Analysis:

Xandra Character Timeline in The Goldfinch

The timeline below shows where the character Xandra appears in The Goldfinch. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...by another very tan woman with dyed hair and gold jewelry, who introduces herself as “Xandra with an X.” Shocked, Theo stares at her tattooed toe, French tip nails, and starfish-shaped... (full context)

...have the key, but suggests that if he goes to the apartment with Larry and Xandra one of the doormen might let them in. Larry reluctantly agrees. (full context)

...into the apartment, adding a request that José comes up with them, and José agrees. Xandra, whom Theo has concluded is not particularly smart, chatters away about the journey from Las... (full context)

Larry continues to gripe about Audrey, while Theo remains silent. Eventually Xandra joins them in Theo’s bedroom and leads Larry away to “show [him] something.” Suddenly, Theo... (full context)

...“touristy” restaurant, Larry takes a call from Audrey’s insurance company, which Theo can’t hear because Xandra is talking too loudly. When Larry gets off the phone he orders a bottle of... (full context)

...that Larry has stopped drinking. He admits that he doesn’t understand what Larry sees in Xandra, who does not seem “all that nice.” Theo notes that he appreciates that Larry and... (full context)

Xandra says she can’t wait to “get the fuck out of” New York. She says she... (full context)

...are home on a road with a sign that reads: “The Ranches at Canyon Shadows.” Xandra explains that there are multiple clusters of developments called “ranch communities.” Larry, meanwhile, is getting... (full context)

...impressive, like “a stage set.” He can hear a screaming sound coming from inside. When Xandra opens the front door, Theo is greeted by the loud sound of the TV and... (full context)

...is just as “bare and lonely” as the rest of the house. Downstairs, Larry and Xandra are screaming at each other. Carefully, Theo removes The Goldfinch from his bag and looks... (full context)

In the following weeks, before school starts, Theo covertly listens to Larry and Xandra’s conversations. He discovers that Larry had been regularly coming to Las Vegas before he left... (full context)

...paper covered with grids of numbers all over the house, and one day he asks Xandra what they are. She explains that she and Larry often play baccarat at the MGM... (full context)

When Xandra and Larry are at home, Theo tends to stay in his room, but when they... (full context)

...from drunk people. Boris calls Theo “Potter” and has an enormous collection of nicknames for Xandra’s dog Popper. Craving love, Popper has become very attached to Theo and Boris. Boris balks... (full context)

Boris likes Xandra and is always polite to her. He says to Theo, “God, she’s hot,” and asks... (full context)

Larry and Xandra book themselves a Thanksgiving dinner at a hotel on the Strip. Larry invites Theo, but... (full context)

...but Theo—feeling ill from eating too many chips and smoking too many cigarettes—gets the food Xandra brought from the fridge anyway. By the time they actually eat, they have drunk so... (full context)

While Larry has barely noticed Boris moving in, Xandra is a different matter. It is almost Christmas, and the approaching holiday is making Theo... (full context)

...bringing Boris and Theo over to meet Diego, the dealer at the baccarat table, but Xandra warns him about “getting too chummy with the dealers.” Boris gives a short toast in... (full context)

...even more because of the drinking and fights that have been escalating between Larry and Xandra. Larry is mostly in a good mood because football season has begun. He chatters away... (full context)

...be very disturbed by this news. Larry asks that Theo doesn’t mention Mr. Silver to Xandra. Larry spots the end of the joint in the ashtray and asks where Theo and... (full context)

...Larry comes home in a spectacular mood, having picked up Chinese food for dinner. When Xandra goes off to wash the dishes, Theo asks if he sorted everything out with Mr.... (full context)

...kitchen knife and begins carefully sawing through one corner, but at this moment he hears Xandra downstairs and hastily hangs it back in the pillowcase behind his headboard. Boris has promised... (full context)

...from where Larry hit him. Just as they are getting ready to leave, they spot Xandra, who is standing “with a funny look on her face.” She announces that Larry has... (full context)

During the rest of the day, Xandra’s friends come over, some of whom are surprisingly nice and “normal.” Boris shares his weed... (full context)

Theo is in a state of shock and doesn’t cry. Xandra goes back and forth from seeming fine to collapsing into tears. At one point Boris... (full context)

With everyone gone and Xandra unconscious, Boris and Theo rifle through her things. They take $229 in cash from her... (full context)

Boris observes that Xandra has about four or five eight balls, and suggests they keep one for themselves and... (full context)

...dog. He considers taking the train, just so he can bring Popper. At that moment, Xandra wakes up and asks a nonsensical question, but after Boris tells her not to worry... (full context)

...he instantly feels better. Boris explains that he could sell the amount they took from Xandra to the rich, popular girls in school for thousands of dollars. (full context)

...text from Boris, saying he hopes Theo isn’t too angry and asking that he rings Xandra, who has been hassling him. Theo tries to call Boris but he doesn’t pick up. (full context)

...the whole story of how he got here. Hobie insists that Theo needs to call Xandra and explain where he is. (full context)

Reluctantly, Theo calls Xandra, explaining that he has taken Popper with him. Xandra says she “ought to call the... (full context)

Theo says that Xandra can give the address of his lawyer, Bracegirdle, telling her to look him up herself.... (full context)

...the pool at the MGM Grand. He has been doing the cocaine they stole from Xandra with the popular girls from school. Theo tells Boris to call him later. Boris never... (full context)

...of the benefit of the doubt. Theo takes two of the pills he stole from Xandra, and tries to console himself with the detail that stolen paintings tend to be impossible... (full context)

...drug dealer from whom he buys Oxycontin, Dilaudid, and other opiates. Stealing the pills from Xandra back when he left Las Vegas triggered a dependency in Theo that has lasted all... (full context)

...smallest inconveniences can trigger a desperate craving for pills. The pills Theo had stolen from Xandra—Vicodin, Percocet, and OxyContin—lasted until his 18th birthday, at which point he started buying on the... (full context)

...after Theo left Las Vegas, he didn’t sell any of the cocaine they took from Xandra. He gave some of it away, which made him very popular, but he did most... (full context)

Backing up, Boris explains that he initially went to see Xandra after he’d been up on coke for multiple days in a row and was in... (full context)

...gratitude or beauty.” Boris tries to reminisce about the Christmas they spent with Larry and Xandra in Las Vegas, but Theo does not respond. Boris gestures toward the bag lying by... (full context)

Xandra Character Analysis

Xandra Quotes in The Goldfinch

Part 2, Chapter 6 Quotes

Xandra Character Timeline in The Goldfinch