Roth’s Goodbye, Columbus reveals a story of discovery; not of love, but of the self. Neil, a young Jewish man from lower-middle class begins an affair with Brenda, a Jewish socialite from the suburbs. Initially, Neil craved a connection with someone from another social class to gain the understanding of a different life-style. He knows socializing with Brenda will allow this prospect and so they begin a summer romance. Neil communicates that Brenda’s family worked hard to climb the social ladder, but unfortunately, they lost their values along the way. This is one reason Neil is quick to point out the Jewishness in everyone around him. Brenda’s family became extremely superficial as a result of their social climb to the top. Both Brenda and
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Neil mentions “Brenda’s old nose fitted [Mr. Patimkin] well” (28). To me, this seems like a “term of endearment” sort of thing. Mr. Patimkin is the only member of the family that Neil can respect. After all, Mrs. Patimkin only seems to care about “the possibility that Buber attended Friday night services without a hat, and Mrs. Buber had only one set of dishes in her kitchen” (88).
The other reason Neil is so quick to point out everyone’s Jewish nature is he is struggling to find his own fit. Neil has difficulty balancing his Jewish religion and his American citizenship. He wants desperately to blend the two and initially, he thinks Brenda has that blend. By marrying her, he thinks he will finally have his place, his niche in life. However, he is sadly mistaken, the Patimkin’s lead a false life, everything is smoke and mirrors. While they appear the best society has to offer, they are truly the rudest people of all. When Neil first had dinner at the Patimkin’s home, Mrs. Patimkin called him by the wrong name, both Mr. Patimkin and Ron banged on their bare stomachs like drums, and Neil was insulted on regarding how little he ate (23). Neil thought he wanted opportunities outside his social standing, but it turns out all he wanted was balance. After seeing that the grass wasn’t greener on the other side, Neil came home to his roots and while the
Neil mentions “Brenda’s old nose fitted [Mr. Patimkin] well” (28). To me, this seems like a “term of endearment” sort of thing. Mr. Patimkin is the only member of the family that Neil can respect. After all, Mrs. Patimkin only seems to care about “the possibility that Buber attended Friday night services without a hat, and Mrs. Buber had only one set of dishes in her kitchen” (88).
The other reason Neil is so quick to point out everyone’s Jewish nature is he is struggling to find his own fit. Neil has difficulty balancing his Jewish religion and his American citizenship. He wants desperately to blend the two and initially, he thinks Brenda has that blend. By marrying her, he thinks he will finally have his place, his niche in life. However, he is sadly mistaken, the Patimkin’s lead a false life, everything is smoke and mirrors. While they appear the best society has to offer, they are truly the rudest people of all. When Neil first had dinner at the Patimkin’s home, Mrs. Patimkin called him by the wrong name, both Mr. Patimkin and Ron banged on their bare stomachs like drums, and Neil was insulted on regarding how little he ate (23). Neil thought he wanted opportunities outside his social standing, but it turns out all he wanted was balance. After seeing that the grass wasn’t greener on the other side, Neil came home to his roots and while the