Blake’s character and the life he has built in The Tenant are defined by his financial success and his social status. Central to that status is his brownstone on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which he prides himself on being able to afford due to his hard work with his marketing firm. For Blake, the brownstone symbolizes his wealth and status, and the act of bringing in a tenant to infiltrate his prestigious home is the first crack in the successful life that he has tried to build.

Traditionally, the Upper West Side of Manhattan has been known for its wealth and prestige. Within New York City, the neighborhood’s median household income of $145,620 was “about 88% more than citywide median household income,” with a poverty rate of “10.5% in 2022 compared to 18.3% citywide” (“Upper West Side Neighborhood Profile.” NYU Ferman Center, 8 May 2025). The median household income was also well above the national average, which stood at $80,610 in 2023 (Guzman, Gloria and Melissa Kolar. “Income in the United States: 2023”. US Census, 10 Sep. 2024). For these reasons, Blake views his purchase of property there as a defining moment in his career, marking his status as successful. Additionally, the loss of his job and his inability to afford his brownstone emphasizes the theme of The Hollow Signs of Success. Blake enters into the volatile marketing world and struggles to keep his status after he loses his job. His decision to bring in a tenant is ultimately his downfall, as he is unwilling to sell his home—or Krista’s expensive engagement ring—which would fracture the appearance of his wealthy, successful life.

In this way, the central conflict in the novel between Blake and Whitney—and, by extension, Krista—revolves around Blake’s brownstone, as he fights to maintain control of his wealth and status by protecting his home. Additionally, the novel explores the psychology of Blake’s character as the life that he has built begins to collapse. He undergoes a range of emotions after Whitney enters his life, including anger, disgust, and hatred, as his physical traits—his recurring rash, the bags under his eyes, and his disheveled appearance—reflect his mental collapse.

As a psychological thriller, The Tenant joins the conversation about what happens when people cling to the outward manifestations of their success, specifically on the Upper West Side of New York. Adrian Lyne’s 1987 film Fatal Attraction tells the story of Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas), a successful Manhattan attorney who has an affair with Alex (Glenn Close). Despite the appearance of Dan’s perfect life—with his wife, daughter, and career—his life spirals out of control after Alex begins stalking and harassing him after his affair. Like Blake, Dan’s life revolves around his career success, which is torn away from him after his infidelity, forcing Dan to move his family to a small town outside the city. Similarly, David Fincher’s Panic Room (2002) tells the story of Meg Altman (Jodie Foster), who divorces her husband and moves into a large brownstone on the Upper West Side. However, on the first night, her home is invaded by burglars, forcing her to hide in the titular panic room with her daughter. Like Blake, Meg’s story explores the psychological impact of strangers infiltrating her home. Despite the home’s size, cost, and location in the affluent Upper West Side, Meg’s life is destroyed by the burglars, just as Blake’s life collapses after Whitney’s infiltration. The Tenant, these two films, and other stories like it explore the psychology of home and belonging and the way they intersect with success and social status. As Blake tries to build a life around wealth and status, he eventually learns to value The Importance of Human Connection, moving out of Manhattan and back to his hometown in Cleveland.