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What Is The Theme Of Goodbye Columbus By Neil Klugman

1008 Words5 Pages

In the end of Goodbye Columbus, Philip Roth walks us through a scene where Neil Klugman, the main protagonist, experiences a clash between his identity and current state of social class. As Neil stands in front of the library, his thoughts and behaviors depict the internal conflicts he has been suppressing in regards to his socio-economic class being defined by his profession. His current occupation as a librariarian signifies the relationship between Neil’s reflection and the Lamont Library; Neil views the library encompassing his reflection through the glass as his future being trapped as a librarian forever.
The additional detail of Patimkin Sinks being installed within the library(135) in the beginning of the passage attaches a supplementary …show more content…

This attribute further exemplifies the distinct relationship between profession and social class because Neil and Brenda’s family - both with contrasting reputations - are represented by their positions in the world of careers. The Patimkin name is known to possess a high degree of wealth due to their successful business in the sink industry, while Neil is stuck as a librarian after his military career, which at the time was frowned upon in the higher classes (26, 50-51). At the beginning of their relationship, Neil and Brenda shared a conversation which resulted in Neil being bothered by Brenda’s comment of “living in Newark as a baby” (12). At surface level, this can be seen as Brenda simply showing …show more content…

Roth’s vivdness within his writing allows for the readers to relate more with Neil and his troubles, depsite the unconventional beliefs the novella discusses. For example, the careful structure and detail he composes through the phrase “I wanted to set down my suitcase and pick up a rock and heave it through the glass” exhibits the intent that Neil carries, and grants a deeper connection between Neil and the readers, who possessed prior knowledge of how he feels about being a librarian and where his financial life currency stands. The simplicity of this sentence can easily be overlooked and be considered as “filler words”, or painless thoughts going through Neil’s brain following a heated argument with his significant other. However, Roth has provided enough evidence to the audience, leading up to this point in the book, for us to know that throwing a rock through the library window (135) carries more meaning than just Neil being upset with Brenda due to their previous

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