Bell Jar: First line of novel

The first line of the novel starts out by saying it was the summer that, "they electrocuted the Rosenbergs". This first sentence gives a sense of where the novel will further lead us as well as what its setting is. This book took place in the middle of the 20th century. During this time the Rosenburgs, which were mentioned in the first sentence of the novel were killed (executed) because they were communist spies. The first sentence very closely relates to the first two chapters that we read. As she is in New York she just follows Doreen and she doesn't exactly know what to do.