South Florida

The events of the entire story, excepting one of Mark’s anecdotes, take place on the property of the narrator and Deb in South Florida. Florida is both stereotypically and realistically an area with a high concentration of American Jews, often in retirement, and is renowned for its beautiful weather. It symbolizes the relative ease and comfort of the narrator and Deb’s lifestyle, which is doubly reflected by the size of their house when compared to their small family.

Israel

Israel is a contradictory setting: it is the center of Judaism, where Mark and Lauren moved to in order to practice their faith more. However, it also has looser alcohol restrictions and is, according to Mark, “the highest country in the world” when it comes to pot usage (14). This paradox of strict/flexible rules is only implied, however. In addition, Israel is a dry country with...