To Paradise

In Book 1, David Bingham lives with his grandfather in a beautiful mansion in the fashionable Washington Square neighborhood of New York. At the start of the novel, David learns that his grandfather has selected him to inherit the mansion while his siblings get other properties; by the end of his narrative, David has chosen to leave the mansion to go and live with Edward Bishop. The Washington Square mansion symbolizes David’s infantilization, dependence on his family, and lack of identity. While his siblings have married, built successful careers, and started their own families, David continues to live with his grandfather in the house where he grew up. The house symbolizes how David has remained in a childlike state and has not made independent decisions about the life he wants to lead or who he wants to be.

When David’s grandfather selects him to inherit the mansion, he symbolically sets David on a path to have a life that will remain very stable and consistent but lack novelty and adventure. David’s ambivalence about the mansion reflects his ambivalence about his illustrious family. He has fond memories of and an emotional attachment to the house, and sometimes, he feels a sense of connection and belonging.