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In many ways, Manhattan acts as the antagonist in this book. Throughout the novel, the city is often a force of destruction, and even the wealthy characters feel the bite of its cold nature. While much of the physical city is being built, it tears down its inhabitants and their careers, driving them to make bad choices. Ellen grows up to enjoy great success on Broadway and as an editor, but this comes at the cost of her personal happiness. She repeatedly enters bad marriages to help her career or keep up appearances. While George ends up happy because Ellen agrees to marry him, he struggles with finding happiness in the city. Once he has become a professional success in New York, there is nowhere left to go because it is one of the most important cities in the world. New York City even assaults the characters in a physical way, as the elevated train rattles overhead, drowning out conversation, and grit is constantly blown in their faces. In this harsh environment, the characters struggle with their tendencies toward making bad decisions so that they can stay relevant in the city.
