What is Playmat

The playmat that Zuckerman buys for his apartment symbolizes his rather childlike helplessness in the face of his mounting personal problems. The playmat is implicitly intended for the recreation of small children, but Zuckerman uses it in his apartment as a surface for stretching and relaxing his chronically painful muscles. Zuckerman is often joined upon this mat by the women with who he is having affairs. These women serve as emotional crutches for Zuckerman, keeping him company in his state of relative helplessness.