Florence, Italy

The majority of Still Life is set in Florence Italy. After Ulysses inherits Arturo’s estate, he moves to the Tuscan city with Alys and Cress. Throughout the novel, Florence serves as a symbol for freedom. The city allows Ulysses to flee the entrapments of his life in East London, serves as a haven for Peggy when she leaves Ted, and facilitates Evelyn’s sexual liberation. When the characters are in Florence, they learn to live outside of social normative expectations and embrace their individuality.

East End London

At the end of World War II, Ulysses returns to East End London. Throughout the novel, the impoverished neighborhood limits the characters’ ability to pursue careers and better their lives. Ulysses consigns himself to tending bar at The Stoat, because there is no market for his artisanal globes, and Peggy, who never received an education, uses her sexual relationships...