Long Island Compromise

As the title indicates, Brodesser-Akner’s novel is set on Long Island, part of the New York metropolitan area. Aside from being one of the most densely populated areas in the state, Long Island is home to some of New York’s most affluent residents, who live in neighborhoods like North Shore and the Hamptons.

Long Island’s relationship to affluence is historical, having attracted wealthy families as far back as the late 19th century. The North Shore saw the creation of new estates by prominent families such as the Astors and the Vanderbilts. By 1925, this neighborhood became the model for the fictional West Egg and East Egg of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. Long Island remains a popular neighborhood for the wealthy; Business Insider named Long Island’s Sagaponack the most expensive village in 2016 (Bruner, Raisa. “The 25 Most Expensive ZIP Codes in America.” Business Insider, 7 Mar. 2016).

The setting of Long Island allows Brodesser-Akner to establish the sheltered lifestyle that the Fletchers enjoy. Crucially, the novel begins in 1980, when Long Island’s wealthy neighborhoods exist at a transitional crossroads in their exclusivity. This period coincides with the first appearance of the “McMansion,” referring to mass-produced housing that enabled upper-middle-class families to penetrate upper-class neighborhoods.