Ptolemy’s apartment is a mess. It can be seen as a metaphor for his state of mind. It also symbolizes the transformative power of love. At the beginning of the novel, Ptolemy is a hoarder. He never throws anything away and has lost his capacity to distinguish treasure from trash. Large parts of his flat are uninhabitable because they are overcrowded with junk, memorabilia, and bugs.

Robyn’s arrival heralds a change in both Ptolemy’s physical surroundings and in his state of mind. She fearlessly tackles the daunting task of cleaning up his non-functioning bathroom. On her first day, she gets the water running again. Repairing the apartment’s plumbing has a salutary effect on Ptolemy as well. He begins to feel hopeful.

Ptolemy is even more daunted by the bedroom than by the bathroom: “The bedroom was dark, as it had been years before when he closed it up in order to forget about his life with Sensia. She was dead and buried but that room had been her memorial” (77-78). Significantly, it is Ptolemy and not Robyn who initially tries to clean the room. Even though Ptolemy doesn’t want to face the mess that’s waiting for him inside, he is more fearful of never seeing Robyn again.