Where It All Goes Down
New York City
Although Rojack traipses all over Manhattan during An American Dream, there are two spots in particular that stand out: Cherry's downtown apartment and Kelly's midtown penthouse. These two wildly different locales embody Rojack's internal struggle.
Everything's Waiting For You Downtown
Our first stop is Cherry's modest place on the Lower East Side. The apartment is in an old, rundown tenement building, complete with "bruised rotting wood" and "garbage […] out on the landings" (5.1). In other words, it's a far cry from the lavish lifestyle Rojack's used to. This building represents the rough side of New York, the seedy underbelly to a world of glitz and glamor.
It doesn't get much prettier on the inside, either. The apartment's "plaster walls were […] very cracked" (5.7), and there's "a couch with one broken leg" (5.7). It's also filled with Cherry's sister's paintings, which help remind her of her sister's tragic story. In many ways, this apartment represents Cherry herself: She's a bit rundown, but if you look inside, you'll find a big heart that's survived a lot of tragedy. This is a moving experience for Rojack, and importantly, he heads to Kelly's apartment knowing that he belongs with Cherry—with the girl who's good inside.
Putting on the Ritz
Things are so different at Kelly's place that Rojack might as well be in another country. For context, Kelly is staying in the Waldorf Astoria, one of the most legendary hotels in the world. In other words, this place is fancy—so fancy, in fact, that Rojack watches "the police […] escort the First Lady to her limousine" (8.3) as he stands outside. If it's good enough for the first lady, then this place shows that he's definitely in high society now.
There's something sinister under the glittering surface, however. As usual, Rojack figures this out by using his nose and smelling the "congregated odor of the wealthy […] a whiff of the tomb" (8.112). In other words, he's associating wealth with death. Don't forget: This is coming from a guy who's been working to become a wealthy man his whole life. But Rojack is head over heels for Cherry now, and he eventually manages to reject Kelly and all of the power he represents.
Escape From New York
Though Rojack returns to Cherry's apartment, he never gets his happy ending: Cherry has been murdered. Looks like death's followed Rojack home… With this, Rojack abandons New York for Las Vegas, and after that, he's off to Guatemala. It's clear that Rojack is trying to escape his problems, but he's not quite fast enough to outrun them. Although he might describe this sudden exodus as evidence of his freedom, we think he just looks lost.