The novel is the story of Archie Ferguson told at four different times , and in four different versions . Each of the seven chapters in the book is divided into four parts ( 1.1 , 1.2 , 1.3 , 1.4 , 2.1 ... etc ) which represent the different versions of his life . Ferguson ( as he 's known in the book ) grows up with the same Jewish , middle class parents , Stanley and Rose , as well as many of the same friends , including Amy Schneiderman , his girlfriend/friend . However , the relationships change with each Ferguson version . Due to the individual circumstances , his lives take very different paths . The story follows his home life as well as college years , his love life and political ideas . Depending on the version of his life , Ferguson experiences various identity issues . The story is set in Newark , New Jersey , New York City , Paris and London in the 1950s and 1960s . As Archie grows through young adulthood , events such as the Vietnam war , Civil Rights , the Kennedy election and assassination , and white flight from Newark are covered
assassination
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
4 3 2 1 (novel)