New York City enters the narrative as the eagerly anticipated destination of a sixth-grade field trip, where a shared journey reveals the differences between Dominick Birdsey and Thomas Birdsey. The city is both a set of famous sights and a measure of how differently the brothers imagine the same outing.

Setting and Route

The twins travel by coach bus from Connecticut toward New York City, with Bridgeport as a familiar point on the route. As the bus approaches the state line, Dominick counts the trip partly as a chance to add another state to the four he has already visited. The back of the bus has a bathroom, and the classmates’ chosen seats establish the social arrangements around the brothers: Dominick sits with Eddie Otero and Channy Harrington, while Thomas is seated farther forward beside Eugene Savitsky.

The Field Trip

The class is headed to the Statue of Liberty and Radio City Music Hall. Thomas has been looking forward to the trip for a particular reason: he wants to see the Easter show at Radio City, which Ma once described as so beautiful that its religious portion made her cry. Dominick, by contrast, finds that prospect dull and churchlike; he is more excited about visiting another state and has thirty-seven dollars to spend. He earned the money by shoveling snow, walking a neighbor’s dog, and helping Ray Birdsey on weekends.

The Twins and the City

The trip makes the brothers’ closeness visible alongside their divergence. Thomas and Channy both choose Dominick as a seatmate, but Dominick chooses Channy, leaving Thomas to sit with Eugene. The small choice sets a personal contrast against the grandeur of the city’s landmarks: the brothers are traveling together, yet they do not experience the outing in the same way. For Dominick, New York City is also part of a widening map of places he wants to see; Thomas’s interest is concentrated on the religious spectacle at Radio City, connected to Ma’s account of it.