Relationships, Competition, and Power
Goodbye, Columbus follows 23-year-old Neil Klugman’s brief but passionate summer relationship with 21-year-old Brenda Patimkin. While Neil and Brenda have genuine affection for one another, their relationship is plagued by constant power struggles as each one tries to take the upper hand. This is echoed by the fact that they often have literal competitions between themselves, such as running races or playing games in the pool, which reflect the power dynamic between them…
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Assimilation and Wealth
Neil Klugman and Brenda Patimkin’s relationship highlights the economic disparities between their two families. Both families are Jewish and live in New Jersey in the late 1950s, but Neil’s family comes from a working-class background, while Brenda’s family is much wealthier. Neil observes that due to the wealth that Brenda’s father Mr. Patimkin has earned, the Patimkins are able to erase outward appearances of their Jewish roots and are consequently better assimilated into white…
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Self-Delusion and Fantasy vs. Self-Examination and Reality
Working class Neil is captivated by wealthy Brenda. His desire for her is both sexual and material—he longs to have the kind of life that her upper-class family leads. However, as the pair’s relationship unfolds, Roth hints at the fact that Neil is simply living out a fantasy through his relationship with Brenda. The two are not suitable for one another, and Neil is with Brenda not because he loves her for who she…
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Nostalgia vs. Progress
In Goodbye, Columbus, the protagonist, Neil, observes that many people around him appear dissatisfied with the current state of their lives. This is often due to their obsession with the past, as they are nostalgic for their former glory and cannot imagine a future quite as bright as their past. Those who are satisfied with their lives, however, rarely dwell on the past and focus instead on the progress they have made and…
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