New York City enters the narrative as a destination for business, but the trip becomes more than a professional errand: after a medical crisis, Oliver Rose’s journey is shadowed by his sense of isolation and his grievance toward Barbara.

A Destination for Business

At a family meal, Oliver announces that he is leaving for New York City the following day to seal a new client deal. He presents it as a gain for the family finances: the client will provide a huge retainer, and his colleagues are pleased with his resourcefulness. The city is thus introduced through the promise of professional success and increased income, rather than through a description of its streets or landmarks.

The Client Visit

After being discharged from the hospital, Oliver calls home and says that he is going to see his client there, adding that he expects to be home that night. The exchange keeps the business purpose of the trip in view even as he checks whether the children are all right and asks when Barbara was first contacted. His attention moves between work, his children, and the question of Barbara’s absence; New York City is the point of departure for that unsettled mixture, not a detailed setting in its own right.

The Journey and Its Emotional Aftermath

On a plane after his discharge, Oliver’s thoughts return to the ordeal. The narrative does not establish the plane’s route, but places this reflection within the period of his client visit. Rather than feeling reassured by having survived, he experiences desolation and fear, and imagines himself struggling toward Barbara when he had called for her. The imagined rescue gives way to a feeling of betrayal because she did not come to his bedside. In this way, the journey associated with New York City links Oliver’s business activity to a private crisis that the business success cannot settle.