Neil Klugman, the twenty-three-year-old narrator and protagonist of Goodbye, Columbus seems to take the moral high ground everywhere he goes. As his summer love, Brenda Patimkin, soon learns, this can be annoying—especially when he's being a hypocrite. As we peer deeper into Neil's viewpoint, we realize that other than his objections to and concrete actions against certain kinds of discrimination, it's hard to figure out precisely what he believes. Rather, he's here to stir the pot and get people thinking and talking. Moral and ethical dilemmas abound throughout the novella.
Questions About Morality and Ethics
- Do any of the moral or ethical issues presented in the novella interest you? Why or why not?
- Are any of the issues dated? Are any of them significantly relevant? Why or why not?
- Why does Neil object to Brenda's nose job?
- Does Neil act ethically toward Brenda? Why or why not?
- Compare and contrast Mrs. Patimkin's ethics with Neil's.
- Why does Mr. Patimkin tell Neil that to succeed in the sink business "You need a little of the gonif [thief] in you" (7.249)?
- Who is the most ethical character? Who is the most hurtful?
- Does Neil treat the boy in the library ethically? Does he treat his coworkers ethically?
Chew on This
In raising the ethics of Brenda's nose job to Brenda, Neil commits an ethical violation because it hurts her.
Neil's actions in the library show that he is willing to act on his principles when another person's rights are being trampled on.