Long Island Compromise

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Part 1, Chapter 1

Part 1, Chapter 2

Part 1, Chapter 3

Part 1, Chapter 4

Parts 2-3

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Dybbuk

The dybbuk is one of the most prominent motifs of the novel, representing the theme of Trauma and Familial Repression. The dybbuk is first introduced in the Prologue through a saying taken from the Fletcher family mythology: “a dybbuk in the works” (27). Zelig and Carl initially used the phrase to explain malfunctioning technology at the factory, which is transposed against the people of their family to downplay psychological scars. It is ultimately used to undermine the impact that Carl’s kidnapping has on him. Whenever Carl experiences a depressive episode related to post-traumatic stress disorder, Phyllis explains it away to her grandchildren as a dybbuk possessing Carl. This teaches them to make a distinction between Carl’s core self and his behavior at any given time.

Later on, the characters respond to manifestations of their subconscious desires by calling them dybbuks. Nathan, for instance, calls Phyllis a dybbuk after he starts seeing her in his dreams. Her appearances remind him of his own mortality and his fear of death. Likewise, Marjorie identifies Phyllis as a dybbuk when Ruth visits her near the end of the novel. While Marjorie is later revealed to be under the influence of drugs during this encounter, her identification of the dybbuk points to the unresolved relationship between her and Phyllis. She thus comes to believe that by acting in line with what she thinks Phyllis wants her to do, she can seek her approval.

Polystyrene

Polystyrene is the sole product that Carl’s factory manufactures, functioning as a symbol of the integrity of the Fletcher family. Zelig brought the polystyrene formula to the United States, having acquired it from a dying man named Chaim, who supposedly gave it to him in exchange for looking after him while he died during the Holocaust. It is later revealed that Zelig fought Chaim for the formula and stolen it from him. The founding myth of the Fletcher family and their wealth is thus revealed to be a shaky foundation, yet the family relies on it to thrive, in keeping with the broader theme of The Illusory Promise of Certainty. The Fletchers license their factory to another company, failing to anticipate the long-term effects that this short-term business decision will have on their wealth.

While polystyrene is the source of their fortune, its combustibility points to the fragility of the Fletcher family. Just as polystyrene renders the factory unusable in mere minutes, the Fletchers crumble at the possibility that their wealth is at risk.

Fresh Starts

A number of characters go through fresh starts throughout the novel—a motif that demonstrates the safety net that the Fletcher family wealth provides for them and thus comments on Wealth as a Barrier to Personal Development. After Beamer confides his secret life in Dr. Lorna and realizes that his relationship with Noelle is at risk, he resolves to give up his addictions to sex and drugs and become a better husband. When Charlie’s criticism causes him to fall back on his addictions, Beamer enters rehabilitation, which gives him enough space to reassess his relationship to his addictions. This effectively gives him another fresh start all the way through to the end of the novel.

Beamer points out that Jenny has also been given a fresh start when she enters a depressive episode that the student union inadvertently recognizes as a praiseworthy strike action. Jenny takes advantage of this fresh start to enter a career as a labor organizer. This insulates her from having to engage with the world outside of her Ivy League university, at least until Beamer challenges her to move on from school.

Finally, the revelation that Zelig and Phyllis had hidden diamonds and Israel bonds in their Middle Rock estate effectively gives the surviving Fletchers a fresh start. Ruth immediately takes advantage of their newfound wealth, investing it and distributing it among her children to ensure their security. Her realization that her children cannot grow because they will never experience suffering suggests that they are likely to keep falling back on their bad habits, allowing the safety net of their wealth to give them a fresh start once again.