Brown University

Brown University is the main setting for the first section “A Madman In Love.” It represents different things for the different characters. For Madeleine, it is an introduction to a new world where she meets people with different values and from different backgrounds. For Leonard, Brown offers a chance to escape from his past and his troubled family. For Mitchell, Brown is a shelter from the real world where he can be preoccupied with esoteric and philosophical interests rather than engage with reality.

Pilgrim Lake

Pilgrim Lake is the setting where Leonard and Madeleine move so that Leonard can pursue his research fellowship there. It is a location of suffering and sadness for both characters as they struggle to cope with Leonard’s severe depression and the side effects of his medication. For Madeleine, this location represents her veering off course from her own goals and dreams...