fe haven in a city that murdered marriages, and the unpaired found relief here from the strenuous formlessness of single life." This passage helps expose that life in New York City is not intended for married people because it is a city "that murdered marriages." New York City is rather a place where single people can be relieved from the worried thought and formalities of the responsibility of a committed relationship. The area where Russell and Corrine lived is described as a safe haven for married people, as if the area is exempt from the corruption of big city life, however, even safe havens can suffer from hidden casualties. This passage also foreshadows future conflicts in the novel such as the downfall of the Calloway's marriage and other aspects of corruption that come as a result of city life. Jeff, who was a friend of the Calloway's as well as a successful writer who's works were published by Russell, also succumbed to the pressures of life in New York City, but he turned to a different outlet. Jeff became heavily involved with drugs and alcohol abuse, which ultimately caused his death. Jeff had been using drugs and drinking alcohol since college, however, at this point in Jeff's life he began to use drugs superfluously to the point where his life became unmanageable. "Bev shook her head but joined the group sneaking through the wreckage to the bed, where Jeff was knotted into the sheets, lying on his right side, breathing laboriously through his nose. A used syringe and a bloodstained washcloth lay on the milk crate that served as a bedside table." This passage takes place when Russell and Corrine as well as some of Jeff's family and friends enter Jeff's apartment with the intention of getting Jeff some much needed help. Jeff basically felt he had nothing to live for and felt insignificant in a city of this magnitude. He had lost hope and felt that he was living for n...