Laura's house

The majority of the novel takes place within the confines of Laura's house, which Abby and Ralph have been living in for awhile before her death and continue to inhabit after. An important thing that Abby notes is the griminess of the house when they move in, as a result of Laura's declining mental health and her inability to take care of it. Ralph notes toward the end of the novel that the grime is becoming similar to what it was like when they first moved in and Laura was struggling, which is an apt metaphor for how much Ralph himself deteriorates over the course of the novel as he deals with hallucinations, depression, and grief. In general, the house is a very stifling environment, especially for Abby, who finds it nearly impossible to extricate herself from Laura's presence after her death and feels haunted by her...