Teaching Goodbye, Columbus

Instructions for You

Objective: As Neil travels through the book, getting closer to Brenda, it quickly becomes obvious they're from different worlds. Like with most great romances (even those that don't end well), the guy comes from a lower class level, trying to prove he can hang with his love interest, who's from a few rungs up the social ladder.

In this activity the students will explore the second chapter and sketch the Patimkins' dinner scene, both visually and with accompanying text. This artistic activity will show how Neil is portrayed as lower class in contrast to his future in-laws, while he hangs out with them at dinner, and will include a short written commentary where your students explain how the visual depicts a class hierarchy. You can get this activity going just after Neil leaves the Patimkins, full of food and class hierarchy.

Materials Needed: Encyclopaedia Britannica's article "Social Class"

Step 1: Let's come to grips with the concept of class division before we go shouting about such hierarchy in the third chapter. We don't want to disturb the Patimkins and Neil when they're having dinner, unless we really have to.

Get the students to split into groups of four and read Encyclopaedia Britannica's article "Social Class." 

Unsurprisingly, it's all about social classes and how society can be divided into different groups. Give them five minutes to read the article and five to answer the following questions (each answer should be three to four lines long):

• What different social classes were present in the early nineteenth century?
• How did this class division form?
• How did Karl Marx think that one social class had more influence than others?
• What are commonly understood to be the three main social classes?
• How do these classes differ?

When finished, you can ask various groups to reveal how they answered the question. The number of questions here is designed so groups'll give feedback on one topic. It's no fun unless everyone gets a go.

Step 2: Dinner has just been served over at the Patimkins' house, so let's head on over. The groups can stay as they are, so as to sketch some scene from the second chapter and present Neil as lower class compared to the Patimkins in this episode.

Here's what the visual should include:

• A particular episode from the second chapter that includes both Neil and the Patimkins
• Neil and the Patimkins appearing as coming from different different social classes (upper and lower)

There should also be a written commentary about the visual, to explain what's going on (we don't want to do abstract to the point of obscurity, as that could nullify the learning experience):

• A brief written explanation of how Neil is relegated to a lower level
• Explanation of how the Patimkins are put on an upper-class pedestal
• Discussion of whether this is deliberate (caused by the future in-laws) or symbolic (created by Roth to hint something)
• Bonus points if the group can relate this episode to the Encyclopaedia Britannica article mentioned earlier

Here's a few quick guidelines for the written commentary:

• Each member of the group should write one part from those mentioned above.
• Each piece should be around 150 words.
• Each student must refer directly to events of the third chapter during their commentary.

If you want to show the class an example before they start, you could use the following:

• The groups could sketch the moment when Neil is having dinner with the Patimkins.
• He could be shown as disconnected from the family, at one end of the table.
• Neil only listens as the rest of the family talk about things closer to home.

Here's how's the commentary could go:

• Neil is disconnected from the family as he cannot talk about familial matters.
• The Patimkins immediately assume the upper-class role, controlling the situation in a manner that suits them—they're not going to let the outsider take over.
• This can be seen as the Patimkins maintaining a way of life they're used to, where no one enters their world and takes over—it's their upper-class house.
• This relates to the Encyclopaedia Britannica article's mention of class divides, where the upper classes can enjoy a life of leisure—Neil, as a member of the lower class, isn't allowed the same.

A different student can take over the running of the group now. They can assign roles to each member, and decide on the order of speakers. This can take place where they're currently situated or in a quieter part of the classroom.

The groups have 30 minutes to create their masterpiece. The first ten should be for general brainstorming, with the next ten sketching the visual. Then the last ten can be spent writing out the commentary: the group members should be in constant discussion with each other while doing so, to make sure no one steps on anyone's toes and repeats what someone else is saying.

Everyone can assist the designated artist with the drawing, either sketching various parts of the image or offering ideas about the visual. Then each student can break off to prepare his/her part of the written commentary. Ideally, this should be written on a small section of paper so it can be easily attached to the visual.

Step 3: When they're finished, get the groups to hang their creations on the classroom walls (with commentaries alongside). Allow time for a gallery walk where everyone can look at the other visuals and commentaries. Each group should then return to their group space to have a quick discussion about which piece of work they thought best represented a class divide in the third chapter (apart from their own, of course).

After a quick five-minute discussion, each group should offer up their decision about who created the best visual. A representative for the group should speak about their selection for Best Depiction of Social Class scene for around one minute, focusing on a specific description of the group's sketch and their commentary. Each representative's talk should conclude with a discussion of how class hierarchy was accurately represented.

Step 4: For homework, the students should create a conversation between Neil and Aunt Gladys upon Neil's return home, as she asks him about dinner with the Patimkins and what it was like.

In this dialogue, Neil has to talk to his aunt about the class division and how he felt out of place at the Patimkins' home: it should refer to at least three key moments in the third chapter, be written in the first person (for both Aunt G and Neil), and be around 600 words long.

Instructions for Your Students

Student intro: As Neil travels through the book, getting closer to Brenda, it quickly becomes obvious they're from different worlds. Like with most great romances (even those that don't end well), the guy comes from a lower class level, trying to prove he can hang with his love interest, who's from a few rungs up the social ladder.

In this activity you'll explore the second chapter and create a visual sketch of the Patimkins' dinner scene. This'll show how Neil is portrayed as lower class in contrast to his future in-laws, while he hangs out with them at dinner. You'll also include a short written commentary explaining how the visual depicts a class hierarchy. You can get this activity going just after Neil leaves the Patimkins, full of food and class hierarchy.

Step 1: It's rude to interrupt anyone's dinner unless you've got a good reason backed up by facts, logic, and cold, hard evidence. Before you go huffing and puffing the Patimkins' house down about class division, you need to get up to speed with this concept.

Split into groups of four and have a quick read of Encyclopaedia Britannica's article, "Social Class," which will fill you in on how social classes came about and why they're still in force today. Take five minutes to read it and then give yourselves another five to answer the following questions:

• What different social classes were present in the early nineteenth century?
• How did this class division form?
• How did Karl Marx think that one social class had more influence than others?
• What are commonly understood to be the three main social classes?
• How do these classes differ?

Your teacher will ask you how you answered some of the questions when you're done, so make sure to have your throat cleared for when such a moment arises.

Step 2: Now that you've acquired all necessary knowledge about class division, it's time to head over to Chez Patimkin in Chapter 2 and prove that there's a split between Neil and his future in-laws, with the former languishing in the lower classes and the latter flaunting their superiority. Your task is to sketch a visual of some episode in the second chapter showing class division between Neil and the Patimkins, and include a brief written commentary explaining this.

Here's what the visual should include:

• A particular episode from the second chapter that includes both Neil and the Patimkins
• Neil and the Patimkins appearing as from different social classes (upper and lower)

There should also be a written commentary about the visual, to explain what's going on, class-wise. Your commentary should include:

• A brief written explanation of how Neil is relegated to a lower level
• Explanation of how the Patimkins are put on an upper-class pedestal
• Discussion of whether this is deliberate (caused by the future in-laws) or symbolic (created by Roth to hint something)
• Bonus points if the group can relate this episode to the Encyclopaedia Britannica article mentioned earlier

Here's a few quick guidelines for the written commentary:

• Each member of the group should write one part from those mentioned above.
• Each piece should be around 150 words.
• Each student must refer directly to events of the second chapter during their commentary.

Here's an example:

• You could sketch the moment when Neil is having dinner with the Patimkins.
• He could be shown as disconnected from the family, at one end of the table.
• Neil is depicted as only listening as the rest of the family talk about things closer to home.

Here's how's the commentary could go:

• Neil is disconnected from the family as he cannot talk about familial matters.
• The Patimkins immediately assume the upper-class role, controlling the situation in a manner that suits them—they're not going to let the outsider take over.
• This can be seen as the Patimkins maintaining a way of life they're used to, where no one enters their world and takes over—it's their upper-class house.
• This relates to the Encyclopaedia Britannica article's mention of class divides, where the upper classes can enjoy a life of leisure—Neil, as a member of the lower class, isn't allowed the same.

The leader for the last activity can pass this role over to another student, who'll oversee this part. The new leader can decide if it's better to stick or twist, moving the group somewhere quiet, such as a corner of the classroom to prep the presentation, or staying where you are.

You've got 30 minutes to complete the activity, so the leader should spend ten minutes getting the rest of the group to brainstorm and the next ten sketching the visual. The last ten should be spent on writing a commentary.

Everyone can help with the drawing, either sketching various parts of the image or offering ideas about the visual, so as to assist the resident artist. Then each student can break off to prepare his/her part of the written commentary. Ideally, this should be written on a small section of paper so it can be easily attached to the visual.

Step 3: When the masterpiece is complete you can either hang your piece on the gallery (classroom) wall or leave it on your desk, so everyone else can come and take in the glory and grandeur of your work.

You should wander around the classroom and look at the works of other groups, because you now have to have a quick discussion about which group best represented class division in their visual and written commentary. Obviously yours was best, so which was second best in this regard?

You should discuss this for five minutes and nominate one person to call out your choice to the rest of the class. This person should talk for one minute, describing the chosen group's sketch and their commentary, and talking about how these accurately represent class hierarchy.

Step 4: For homework, write out a conversation Neil has with Aunt Gladys upon returning home, as she asks him about dinner with the Patimkins and what it was like.

Neil has to talk to his aunt about the class division and how he felt out of place at the Patimkins' home: this conversation should refer to at least three key moments in the second chapter, be written in the first person (for both Aunt G and Neil), and be around 600 words long.