Importance of Los Angeles

Los Angeles represents Sarah's sharp break from the life she led in New York and an escape from the guilt and trauma of her childhood. She basically disappears from New York, returning rarely, seeking instead to build a new life for herself on the opposite coast. Her life in Los Angeles for much of her life is unhappy and unfulfilled, but it eventually actually becomes a comfortable place for her once she is able to confront the guilt she feels about the car accident.