Classic Love Stories

The classic love stories that the narrator references in the opening chapter are meant to symbolically point out the loss of romance in modern New York. The narrator welcomes readers into the scene in the book’s first pages, writing that in 1990s Manhattan, “no one has breakfast at Tiffany’s, and no one has affairs to remember” (2). This refers to the classic mid-century films Breakfast at Tiffany’s and An Affair to Remember, both love stories set in New York City. Instead, the author argues that the spirit of these stories has been replaced by a modern casual hookup culture and business arrangements devoid of romance.

The Condom

The condom symbolizes the detachment and noncommittal nature of contemporary courtship. In the opening chapter, a short section titled "A Lady’s Glove" discusses the use of birth control, quoting one interviewee saying that “the...