Mother's Apartment

Mother’s apartment in New York is where Davy attempts to build a new life with his mother and Fred after his grandmother’s death, as well as the scene of much tension between himself and his mother. The apartment’s cramped nature is indicative of his feelings of being oppressed and trapped by his mother’s temper and prejudices. It is where Mother catches him sleeping on the floor with Altschuler and becomes alarmed, assuming correctly that the boys have feelings for one another.

Grandmother's House

Grandmother’s house in Boston is where Davy lived for most of his childhood and where the novel opens following her funeral. For Davy, the house represents the past, and the familiarity and freedom that he is forced to give up when he moves to a much smaller apartment with his mother in New York City. It is also the...