Goodbye, Columbus is set mostly in the city of Newark, New Jersey and its opulent suburb Short Hills in the late 1950s. This was a time of great change everywhere in America as rules and norms regarding gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality were being heavily challenged. The novella also presents a Jewish vision of America, or more accurately, many Jewish visions of America. Each of the Jewish characters have different visions of what it means to be a Jew and how that plays out in their respective spheres.
Questions About Visions of America
- Compare and contrast Newark and Short Hills. What are the differences? The similarities?
- What are some symbols of the American dream in the story? Are these positive? Negative? Why?
- Which character or characters do you relate to the most in terms of their vision of America? Why?
- Does Neil like where he lives? Would he rather live like the Patimkins? How do you know?
- What visions of America are presented in the library scenes?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Neil's criticisms of the Patimkin wealth devalue Mr. Patimkin's achievements.
The libraries in Goodbye, Columbus are the most potent symbols of the American dream.