Playworld

The bustling, urban metropolis of New York City is the setting of the majority of the novel and is symbolic of Griffin’s life. The novel’s title itself is referential to New York and the constant, playful energy of the place. Because the protagonist Griffin Hurt is born and grows up in Manhattan, New York, the setting dictates the majority of his coming-of-age experiences, conflicts, trials, and excitements. While the city is often overwhelming—filled with light, sound, color, and activity—it also offers Griffin an endless realm of discovery. The way that Griffin observes, describes, and depicts New York City conveys his love for this setting:

Oh, there is something fantastical about this island. There must have been a spell cast upon it from before when this land was Arcadia, was Manhattan, and it is this: you can take two people, place them within shouting distance of each other, set them on their way, and in their lifetimes, they might never cross paths again (501-02).

Griffin exclaims at the beauty, wonder, and magic of New York in this moment, which captures his intimacy with the city. Although he’s lived there all his life, he knows that he’ll never fully understand New York.