Goodbye, Columbus

by

Philip Roth

Mr. Patimkin Character Analysis

Mr. Patimkin is Brenda, Ron, and Julie’s father, and Mrs. Patimkin’s husband. Mr. Patimkin comes from a similar background to Neil’s family, growing up working-class and Jewish. However, Mr. Patimkin was able to build a successful business and gain a great deal of wealth over the course of his life. This allowed him and his family to cast aside many markers of their Jewish heritage and become assimilated into wealthy white American culture. This includes moving out of Newark and into the affluent suburb of Short Hills, buying expensive clothing and cars, and doing activities like attending country clubs and playing tennis and golf. Mr. Patimkin understands that his children have become assimilated, as he notes that they don’t understand Yiddish words or aspects of Jewish culture. However, Mr. Patimkin views this as a point of pride and a marker of his own success. Unlike other characters who fixate on their nostalgia for the past, Mr. Patimkin appreciates the success that he has attained in the present and also hopes for more progress in the future. At the end of the novella, when Mrs. Patimkin discovers Brenda’s diaphragm, he writes a letter expressing his disappointment in Brenda and his hope that she will learn from her mistake. This fuels her feeling that she must break up with Neil in order to be accepted by her family.

Mr. Patimkin Quotes in Goodbye, Columbus

The Goodbye, Columbus quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Patimkin or refer to Mr. Patimkin. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Relationships, Competition, and Power Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

“I had my nose fixed.”
“What was the matter with it?”
“It was bumpy.”
“A lot?”
“No,” she said, “I was pretty. Now I’m prettier. My brother’s having his fixed in the fall.”
“Does he want to be prettier?”
She didn’t answer and walked ahead of me again.
“I don’t mean to sound facetious. I mean why’s he doing it?”
“He wants to…unless he becomes a gym teacher…but he won’t.” she said. “We all look like my father.”
“Is he having his fixed?”
“Why are you so nasty?”
“I’m not. I’m sorry.”

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Brenda Patimkin (speaker), Mr. Patimkin, Ron Patimkin
Page Number: 13
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

Money! My father’s up to here with it, but whenever I buy a coat you should hear her. “You don’t have to go to Bonwit’s, young lady, Ohrbach’s has the strongest fabrics of any of them.” Who wants a strong fabric! Finally I get what I want, but not till she’s had a chance to aggravate me. Money is a waste for her. She doesn’t even know how to enjoy it. She still thinks we live in Newark.

Related Characters: Brenda Patimkin (speaker), Neil Klugman, Mr. Patimkin, Mrs. Patimkin
Page Number: 26
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

Here you need a little of the gonif in you. You know what that means? Gonif?”
“Thief,” I said.
“You know more than my own kids. They’re goyim, my kids, that’s how much they understand.”

Related Characters: Mr. Patimkin (speaker), Neil Klugman, Brenda Patimkin, Mrs. Patimkin, Ron Patimkin, Harriet Ehrlich
Page Number: 94
Explanation and Analysis:

“Ronald, get him the silver patterns.” Ron turned away and Mr. Patimkin said, “When I got married we had forks and knives from the five and ten. This kid needs gold to eat off,” but there was no anger; far from it.

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Mr. Patimkin (speaker), Ron Patimkin
Page Number: 95
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

Then he looked at me. “Whatever my Buck wants is good enough for me. There’s no business too big it can’t use another head.”

I smiled, though not directly at him, and beyond I could see Leo sopping up champagne and watching the three of us; when he caught my eye he made a sign with his hand, a circle with his thumb and forefinger, indicating, “That a boy, that a boy!”

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Mr. Patimkin (speaker), Brenda Patimkin, Ron Patimkin, Leo Patimkin
Page Number: 109
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

I looked hard at the image of me, at that darkening of the glass, and then my gaze pushed through it, over the cool floor, to a broken wall of books, imperfectly shelved.

I did not look very much longer, but took a train that got me into Newark just as the sun was rising on the first day of the Jewish New Year. I was back in plenty of time for work.

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Brenda Patimkin, Mr. Patimkin
Page Number: 136
Explanation and Analysis:
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Goodbye, Columbus PDF

Mr. Patimkin Quotes in Goodbye, Columbus

The Goodbye, Columbus quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Patimkin or refer to Mr. Patimkin. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Relationships, Competition, and Power Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

“I had my nose fixed.”
“What was the matter with it?”
“It was bumpy.”
“A lot?”
“No,” she said, “I was pretty. Now I’m prettier. My brother’s having his fixed in the fall.”
“Does he want to be prettier?”
She didn’t answer and walked ahead of me again.
“I don’t mean to sound facetious. I mean why’s he doing it?”
“He wants to…unless he becomes a gym teacher…but he won’t.” she said. “We all look like my father.”
“Is he having his fixed?”
“Why are you so nasty?”
“I’m not. I’m sorry.”

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Brenda Patimkin (speaker), Mr. Patimkin, Ron Patimkin
Page Number: 13
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

Money! My father’s up to here with it, but whenever I buy a coat you should hear her. “You don’t have to go to Bonwit’s, young lady, Ohrbach’s has the strongest fabrics of any of them.” Who wants a strong fabric! Finally I get what I want, but not till she’s had a chance to aggravate me. Money is a waste for her. She doesn’t even know how to enjoy it. She still thinks we live in Newark.

Related Characters: Brenda Patimkin (speaker), Neil Klugman, Mr. Patimkin, Mrs. Patimkin
Page Number: 26
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

Here you need a little of the gonif in you. You know what that means? Gonif?”
“Thief,” I said.
“You know more than my own kids. They’re goyim, my kids, that’s how much they understand.”

Related Characters: Mr. Patimkin (speaker), Neil Klugman, Brenda Patimkin, Mrs. Patimkin, Ron Patimkin, Harriet Ehrlich
Page Number: 94
Explanation and Analysis:

“Ronald, get him the silver patterns.” Ron turned away and Mr. Patimkin said, “When I got married we had forks and knives from the five and ten. This kid needs gold to eat off,” but there was no anger; far from it.

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Mr. Patimkin (speaker), Ron Patimkin
Page Number: 95
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

Then he looked at me. “Whatever my Buck wants is good enough for me. There’s no business too big it can’t use another head.”

I smiled, though not directly at him, and beyond I could see Leo sopping up champagne and watching the three of us; when he caught my eye he made a sign with his hand, a circle with his thumb and forefinger, indicating, “That a boy, that a boy!”

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Mr. Patimkin (speaker), Brenda Patimkin, Ron Patimkin, Leo Patimkin
Page Number: 109
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

I looked hard at the image of me, at that darkening of the glass, and then my gaze pushed through it, over the cool floor, to a broken wall of books, imperfectly shelved.

I did not look very much longer, but took a train that got me into Newark just as the sun was rising on the first day of the Jewish New Year. I was back in plenty of time for work.

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Brenda Patimkin, Mr. Patimkin
Page Number: 136
Explanation and Analysis: