The most noticeable feature of A Fine and Private Place is its consistently balanced structure. Not only do the main characters complement each other, but nearly all of the novel's other elements are set up in a series of foils. The setting, a quiet Bronx cemetery, is often contrasted with the busy sounds and activities of life in the city outside. Yet the cemetery's separate burial sections and street names indicate a marked similarity with the city's layout. Character development is often indicated by parallel plot devices.

When Mr. Rebeck first meets Mrs. Klapper, he avoids leaving the cemetery with her by pretending to have to look for a lost wrist watch. Later, when Mrs. Klapper is able to persuade him to leave the cemetery, she contrives to remain behind after the gate is locked by pretending to have to look for her watch. The tone retains a...