Importance of Chicago

Chicago is Jessie's hometown and a brief setting for the novel when Jessie goes back for a weekend. Though it is cold and bleak in the fall, Jessie recalls it fondly in her memory as the place where she, her mother, and her father lived happily. Upon returning, Jessie finds that as her relationship with Scar took a downturn, so too did her outlook on the city. Although she eventually reconciles with both, she decides that given the choice, she would not move back to Chicago and instead decides to bravely face her new life, with all of its problems, in LA.