Critical Analysis Of Goodbye, Columbus By Phillip Roth

I have always maintained a captivation with the “how and why”, how things work, and why they work in that way. This mindset, however provokes most to believe that my enthusiasm comes only through courses, which have a more scientific or analytical backbone, generally involving theories and data. When I was younger, I also thought this; I saw courses such as literature as uninteresting, and even a waste of my time. But, as I have grown my premature perspectives have developed, expanding my own interest in topics previously foreign to me. Broadening my attitude I have been able to find appreciation in the stories I read for their introspective themes and characters. I’m particularly enthralled by what one can learn about others, simply by analyzing characters in short stories and

“Goodbye, Columbus” by Phillip Roth, offers a superb example of a story, which centers on the thoughts and decisions of the characters. In this novel the lead characters, Neil and Brenda, each have their own type of standards and expectations, so unsurprisingly when they meet, there is a clash between their conflicting viewpoints. As readers, we can envelop our minds into this story, understanding the opinion and reasoning of both characters. These multiple perspectives allow the reader to take away an understanding, of how these characters interacted, this is wisdom that the reader can adopt in their own lives with how they interact and relate with other people. On the other hand, Stories such as the “Ghost Map” by Steven Johnson produce little of the same effect. This story, for the most part, fixated on physical perspective and scenery, rather than constructing round characters with a multitude of different thoughts and opinions. For me, this wasn’t enough to capture my interest taking me an excruciating amount of time to get through this