Vineland

Vineland serves as a backdrop for the novel although the characters' focus is turned more inward, minimizing the role of the city. Vineland is also a source of disappointment and confusion for the characters who have not been able to move on with their lives and repair their homes.

Family Home

The family household is the setting for the main conflicts of the novel, including interfamilial conflicts. The house is a pivotal location in the novel partly because the family has lived in the house for multiple decades, and the children are able to relive their own childhood memories. The house also represents the strength of the family's ties and the difficulties the children have faced to escape their old lives and stand on their own.

Hospital

The hospital is the setting where the family comes together, despite their differences, to care for Nick.

Mary Treat's Home

Mary...