Carlota is the Patimkin family’s African American maid, who cooks, cleans, and watches Julie. Neil explains that he feels a kinship with Carlota, reinforcing how the stark class divisions between Neil and the Patimkins make him feel lower status despite the fact that they share an ethnic and religious background.
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Carlota Character Timeline in Goodbye, Columbus
The timeline below shows where the character Carlota appears in Goodbye, Columbus. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...polite and very beautiful. Neil explains that the Patimkins also have a black maid named Carlota. Neil feels very intimidated eating there. There is not much conversation over dinner, and Neil...
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...jumps up to answer it, as it is his girlfriend Harriet calling. Mrs. Patimkin instructs Carlota not to mix the milk silverware and the meat silverware, and Brenda is teasing Neil’s...
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...to catch up to Julie. As the game goes on, he notices Mrs. Patimkin and Carlota watching. When he misses a shot, he jokingly asks to take it again, and Julie...
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Chapter 3
...that it suits her. Brenda tells him that she and her parents will be right back—Carlota is off, and they have to take Ron to the airport. She asks him to...
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Chapter 5
...too much company. Brenda says it’s not extra work for Mrs. Patimkin, because they have Carlota. Mrs. Patimkin responds that Brenda wouldn’t know about extra work because she’s lazy. Brenda starts...
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Chapter 6
Neil greets Carlota on his way out the door. Though she does not return his greeting, he thinks...
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Neil spends the day trying to avoid Carlota and Mrs. Patimkin, but Mrs. Patimkin sits opposite him in their TV room, checking names...
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