The Last Party

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of emotional abuse.

The Last Party is set in the fictional gated community of Brighton Estates, located in the real suburb of Pasadena, California. Pasadena is a city known for its attractive residential architecture and high quality of life. The city boasts many major cultural centers, such as the Pasadena Playhouse and the Norton Simon Museum, and major technological and educational centers, including the California Institute of Technology. Pasadena is also well-known for having several exclusive residential districts for the very wealthy, like the novel’s gated community of Brighton Estates. The novel’s setting plays a key role in its plotline: The superficial nature of Brighton Estates works to Perla’s favor, allowing her to keep Sophie and Grant isolated while projecting the image of a perfect family.

Appearances and status are extremely important in Brighton Estates, where the nuclear family reigns supreme. The men work high-powered jobs, the women drive Range Rovers, and the children attend expensive schools. The neighborhood’s outcasts are women who don’t fit into this highly gendered mold. “The female execs, the single moms [and] the internet models” (49) are shunned, while women like Perla are embraced.