An important theme explored throughout the book is that of the class divide present in New York City. The setting of New York is key, as the specific qualities associated with the social hierarchy and the way in which its maintenance manifests is unique to the city and its history.

At the very outset, the location is made clear to the reader. Louisa arrives in New York, and it is grand, overwhelming, and brimming with potential. However, she is initially exposed to a very specific slice of the city’s many worlds: one inhabited by the New York upper class. Nathan describes the Gopniks to Louisa as an “average dysfunctional multimillionaire family” (6). However, it is not just wealth that is a distinguishing characteristic of the Gopniks but the kind of wealth they possess, which is a function of their background and contributes to their standing in society. For instance, they are residents in the Lavery, which in addition to being an upscale apartment is also one that only allows units to be passed down generationally through families. The Gopniks are old money, and their elite status is a function of both their pedigree and their wealth.