Goodbye, Columbus

by

Philip Roth

Ron Patimkin Character Analysis

Ron is Brenda’s older brother. He is large and athletic, having played basketball at Ohio State University. Initially, his plan is to become a gym teacher, but when he and his girlfriend Harriet decide to get married, Mr. Patimkin hires him at his business because Ron now has the responsibility to support a family. Yet Roth makes it clear that Ron is nostalgic for his former glory, particularly when it comes to his athletic success. Ron has what he calls his “Columbus record,” which includes a recording of one of his basketball games at OSU. He listens to this record constantly, humming along to songs from his alma mater and becoming particularly excited when he hears the crowd cheer for him, illustrating his nostalgia for this time.

Ron Patimkin Quotes in Goodbye, Columbus

The Goodbye, Columbus quotes below are all either spoken by Ron Patimkin or refer to Ron 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 5 Quotes

Up on the beach there were beautiful bare-skinned Negresses, and none of them moved; but suddenly we were moving our ship, out of the harbor, and the Negresses moved slowly down to the shore and began to throw leis at us and say “Goodbye, Columbus…goodbye, Columbus…goodbye…” and though we did not want to go, the little boy and I, the boat was moving and there was nothing we could do about it, and he shouted at me that it was my fault and I shouted it was his for not having a library card, but we were wasting our breath, for we here further and further from the island and soon the natives were nothing at all.

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Brenda Patimkin, Ron Patimkin, The Boy
Related Symbols: The Columbus Record
Page Number: 74-75
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

There was goose flesh on Ron’s veiny arms as the Voice continued. “We offer ourselves to you then, world, and come at you in search of Life. And to you, Ohio State, to you Columbus, we say thank you, thank you and goodbye. We’ll miss you, in the fall, in the winter, in the spring, but some day we shall return. Till then, goodbye, Ohio State, goodbye, red and white, goodbye, Columbus… goodbye, Columbus…goodbye…”

Ron’s eyes were closed. The band was upending its last truckload of nostalgia and I tiptoed from the room, in step with the 2163 members of the Class of ‘57.

I closed my door, but then opened it and looked back at Ron: he was still humming on his bed.

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Ron Patimkin
Related Symbols: The Columbus Record
Page Number: 105
Explanation and Analysis:

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:
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Goodbye, Columbus PDF

Ron Patimkin Quotes in Goodbye, Columbus

The Goodbye, Columbus quotes below are all either spoken by Ron Patimkin or refer to Ron 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 5 Quotes

Up on the beach there were beautiful bare-skinned Negresses, and none of them moved; but suddenly we were moving our ship, out of the harbor, and the Negresses moved slowly down to the shore and began to throw leis at us and say “Goodbye, Columbus…goodbye, Columbus…goodbye…” and though we did not want to go, the little boy and I, the boat was moving and there was nothing we could do about it, and he shouted at me that it was my fault and I shouted it was his for not having a library card, but we were wasting our breath, for we here further and further from the island and soon the natives were nothing at all.

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Brenda Patimkin, Ron Patimkin, The Boy
Related Symbols: The Columbus Record
Page Number: 74-75
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

There was goose flesh on Ron’s veiny arms as the Voice continued. “We offer ourselves to you then, world, and come at you in search of Life. And to you, Ohio State, to you Columbus, we say thank you, thank you and goodbye. We’ll miss you, in the fall, in the winter, in the spring, but some day we shall return. Till then, goodbye, Ohio State, goodbye, red and white, goodbye, Columbus… goodbye, Columbus…goodbye…”

Ron’s eyes were closed. The band was upending its last truckload of nostalgia and I tiptoed from the room, in step with the 2163 members of the Class of ‘57.

I closed my door, but then opened it and looked back at Ron: he was still humming on his bed.

Related Characters: Neil Klugman (speaker), Ron Patimkin
Related Symbols: The Columbus Record
Page Number: 105
Explanation and Analysis:

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: