Philip Roth

The scene in which Neil visits Potemkin Sinks to pick up some stuff for the wedding and sees Ron in his new job - his new life - and hears mr. P on the phone with various suppliers is one of the best in Goodbye, Columbus (in th movie as well) - Mr. P slyly showing Neil that he could well have a place in this enterprise - he's far more capable than Ron they both know - but n without exactly saying so is looking into a future vision of hell - subservience to father awkward rivalry w Ron - in fact a Shakespearean clash among unequally skilled brothers potentially - and most of all a career he cannot abide. He knows he does not want to work forever in a library and has not expressed any other aspirations but we can see clearly that he is if not a Roth avatar at least someone who is kind and thoughtful about kids and would make a great teacher. But would the Potemkins in listing Brenda allow this or would he be belittled for the rest of his life - depending on the family money while eating (and earning) "like a bird." To them eve to mr p he has barely registered - a bit surprising in that I thin mr p would really be sizing him up.

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