Lab

While still in graduate school, the narrator pursues her experiments, and is constantly frustrated by both her stymied research and her feelings of inadequacy when she compares herself with her lab mate and other colleagues. She finally lets out her frustration by breaking beakers against the lab floor, leading to her expulsion from the institution. The lab is also the place where the narrator and Eric met and fell in love; this is the only positive memory she associates with it.

The narrator's and Eric's apartment

The narrator, Eric, and their dog share an apartment in Boston when the novel begins. The apartment is the setting for the full range of ups and downs in their relationship; the two fight there, but also cuddle at night, reflecting their emotional need for one another. When Eric moves to Ohio, the narrator and the dog stay behind. The apartment becomes...