London

The emotionally and physically dingy city in which Nicholas both begins and ends his journey. It symbolizes the emotional, physical and spiritual dinginess of Nicholas' spirit at both the beginning of his journey of transformation (where he's desperate for a new life) and at the end (where hope for a new life seems to have abandoned him).

Phraxos

This is the island upon which the school at which Nicholas teaches and the villa in which he's transformed are both built. Its natural, light-soaked and life-filled beauty are vividly contrasted to the darkness and deadness of London. As such, it symbolizes the spiritual transformation Nicholas begins to undergo while there.

The Lord Byron School

This is the school on Phraxos at which Nicholas works. The school's name is important, in that Lord Byron was one of history's most noted and influential poets - romantic, emotional, and passionate; Byron's...