to break up with her. Even before their breakup, however, it is clear that she has become ambivalent about their relationship and is embarrassed by the shame she has brought on her family.

Aunt Gladys and Uncle Max

Neil lives with Aunt Gladys, Uncle Max, and his cousin in a working-class neighborhood. Gladys is the matriarch of the family and does all the cooking and cleaning, even going out of her way to cook four separate dinners, one each for her husband, daughter, and nephew, plus one for herself. She has some concerns about Neil's relationship with Brenda, noting the difference in their economic status.

Mr. and Mrs. Patimkin

Brenda's middle-class parents, who have recently moved from Newark, New Jersey, to a suburb called Short Hills. Like his children, Mr. Patimkin is obsessed with sports like golf and enjoys going to the country club to relax. Both Mr. and Mrs. Patimkin have assimilated into American culture, adopting consumerist habits typical of Americans. For example, they keep an entire refrigerator entirely filled with fresh fruits. When they find out about Brenda's affair, they each write a letter to her, expressing their shame and disappointment.

Ron Patimkin

Ron is Brenda's older brother. He has just graduated from Ohio State University, where he was a big basketball star, and where he met his soon-to-be wife, Harriet. When Ron announces his intention to marry Harriet over Labor Day weekend, everyone is surprised. His family scrambles to make the arrangements. Ron seems very happy with his new bride.

Mr. and Mrs. Klugman

Neil's parents, who moved to Arizona from New Jersey because of their asthma.

Julie Patimkin

Brenda's ten-year-old sister.

Leo Patimkin

One of Brenda's uncles. He tells Neil not to ruin the good thing he and Brenda have.

Neil, the narrator of the novella, remains an enigmatic character despite his constant presence. He struggles with uncertainty about his desires and expectations from Brenda. When reading Goodbye, Columbus, it's crucial to consider Neil's age. Although he seldom admits it, many of his behaviors are influenced by his youth. He recognizes that his attraction to Brenda is largely driven by lust, but to what extent are the stubbornness and suspicion that lead to their breakup also youthful traits? Despite these complexities, Neil is a highly likable character, combining both romantic and practical qualities that distinguish him from those around him.

Readers may find it challenging to form a definitive opinion about Brenda by the end of the story. Is she the pampered princess Neil perceives her to be, or is she a multifaceted character who accepts her parents' generosity out of necessity? Such questions prompt readers to reflect on what kind of person they might be in Brenda's situation. Brenda also allows Roth to delve into the complicated dynamics between children and their parents. Following a somewhat typical pattern, Brenda enjoys a great relationship with her father while frequently clashing with her mother.

Brenda's brother, Ron, symbolizes the sacrifice Neil might have to make if he fully commits to Brenda. During a visit to the Patimkin Sink factory, Neil observes Ron working in the family business and envisions himself in a similar role. At various points in the story, the link between Ron's future and Neil's potential path becomes more evident. The night before Ron's wedding, he invites Neil to listen to his records, prompting Neil to think that "perhaps Ron's invitation was driven by a desire to share his final moments as a Single Man with another Single Man." The novella's title is derived from the subsequent scene, where Ron, typically a minor character, takes the spotlight. He chooses to play his "Columbus record" for Neil. The record, essentially an audio yearbook, captures highlights from Ron's last year at Ohio State University in Columbus. Ron listens to the record frequently and with reverence. His upcoming marriage and entry into the family business, while offering stability, can't rival his cherished memories of youthful freedom. At this point, Ron's character reveals how the book functions as a fable about losing innocence; his uneasy transition into new responsibilities mirrors Neil's challenging and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to navigate an unfamiliar social environment.

Carlota

Carlota is the maid for the Patimkin family. The fact that the Patimkins employ a maid suggests their affluence.

Harriet Ehrlich

Harriet Ehrlich is engaged to Brenda's brother, Ron. She arrives at the Patimkin home a few days prior to the wedding. Neil describes her as "a young lady singularly unconscious of a motive in others or herself. All was all surfaces, and she seemed a perfect match for Ron, and too for the Patimkins."

Aunt Gladys

Gladys is Neil's aunt, with whom he resides. She subtly disapproves of his relationship with Brenda, due to her understanding of the significant socioeconomic differences between their families.

Doris Klugman

Doris Klugman is Neil's cousin. She is the one who first invited him to the country club swimming pool where he met Brenda.

Neil Klugman

Neil Klugman is both the main character and narrator of the story. Through his first-person narration, he recounts his relationship with Brenda from his perspective. Neil's journey is one of self-exploration, as their relationship highlights their different socioeconomic backgrounds. At twenty-three, Neil lives with his Aunt Gladys and Uncle Max in Newark, New Jersey, and works at a library. He encounters Brenda at a country club pool, where he was invited by his cousin Doris. He later contacts Brenda and meets her at a tennis court. The following day, he is invited to dinner at her parents' home. Brenda's affluent suburban Jewish family is a stark contrast to Neil's own lower-middle-class Jewish upbringing. After several weeks of dating, Brenda invites Neil to stay for a week at her parents' house. During his stay, they secretly spend the night together in her room. Brenda asks him to extend his visit by another week, at the end of which she returns to college for the fall. After several weeks apart, they plan a weekend together at a hotel. However, upon meeting, Brenda reveals that her parents found the diaphragm she used with Neil. Feeling that her parents' reaction means they cannot continue their relationship, Neil leaves the hotel and returns to his home and job.

The Little Boy

This character is a young African-American boy, referred to by the outdated term "colored," who visits the library daily to view a book of Gauguin paintings depicting native women in Tahiti. He appears in Neil's dream, where they both sail away from Tahiti on a ship. Neil identifies with the boy, as they both long for an unreachable paradise—Tahiti for the boy and the upper-middle-class world of Brenda's family for Neil.

Uncle Max

Max is Neil's uncle, with whom Neil lives. Although he doesn't appear in the story, he is mentioned by Neil and his aunt.

John McKee

John McKee works with Neil at the library, though Neil is not fond of him. Neil often calls him "John McRubberhands."

Ben Patimkin

Ben Patimkin is Brenda Patimkin's father. He is described as "tall, strong and ungrammatical." Mr. Patimkin is a wealthy businessman who runs Patimkin Kitchen and Bathroom Sinks. He is a man of few words and spends most of his time with his family playing different sports in their yard. He remarks that Neil "eats like a sparrow," which Neil perceives as an insult to his masculinity. By the story's conclusion, Mr. Patimkin appears open to Neil becoming his son-in-law, suggesting Neil could have a role in the family business. After Brenda's mother, Mrs. Patimkin, finds Brenda's diaphragm, Mr. Patimkin writes Brenda a letter meant to soften the blow of her mother's more severe letter. His main reaction is to insist on buying Brenda a new coat, highlighting his tendency to handle family issues through a lens of business and material wealth.

Brenda Patimkin

Brenda is Neil's romantic interest. Neil first encounters Brenda at a country club swimming pool when she asks him to hold her glasses while she dives. Later, Neil calls her, and she invites him to meet her at the tennis court. The following day, she invites him to dinner with her family and eventually to stay at their house for two weeks, during which they secretly spend the night together. Neil and Brenda's relationship is marked by their differences in socioeconomic status. Although both are Jewish, their family lives are vastly different. Like her family, Brenda is deeply interested in sports, competition, and athletics. She attends Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she returns at the summer's end. They don't meet again until they spend a weekend together at a hotel. At the hotel, Brenda informs Neil that her parents have found the diaphragm she used with him over the summer. Her mother and father have sent her separate letters expressing their disappointment. Brenda tells Neil that due to her family's disapproval, their relationship cannot continue.

Julie Patimkin

Julie Patimkin is Brenda's younger sister. Described as "ten, round-faced, bright," Julie shares the Patimkin family's fixation on sports and competition. After Neil insists on winning a game of ping pong when he is babysitting her, Julie becomes upset and maintains a cool demeanor towards him afterward.

Leo Patimkin

Leo Patimkin is Mr. Patimkin's half-brother, whom Neil meets at a wedding. Leo becomes intoxicated and talks at length to Neil about his family and financial situation.

Mrs. Patimkin

Mrs. Patimkin is the mother of Brenda. Neil portrays her as having "purple eyes, dark hair, and a large, commanding presence," which gives him the impression of a "captive beauty, a wild princess subdued to serve the king's daughter—who is Brenda." Mrs. Patimkin is emotionally distant towards Brenda and openly distrustful of Neil, mainly due to his modest social background. Near the conclusion of the story, Mrs. Patimkin discovers Brenda's diaphragm hidden beneath a stack of sweaters in a drawer. Disturbed, she pens a worried letter that she sends by air mail to Brenda at her college. It is largely Mrs. Patimkin's reaction to this discovery that appears to sway Brenda's decision to break off her relationship with Neil.

Ron Patimkin

Ron Patimkin is Brenda's brother. A former athlete at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, Ron shares the family's enthusiasm for sports, competition, and athletic endeavors. He weds Harriet in a lavish ceremony, which Neil attends. Ron invites Neil to listen to his "Columbus" record, a sort of narrated college yearbook featuring highlights like the final basketball game of the season, in which Ron participated. The record concludes with the song ‘‘Goodbye, Columbus . . .,’’ a sentimental farewell to college life for graduating seniors. This line, which gives the story its title, mirrors Neil's eventual longing for his fleeting romance with Brenda.

Mr. Scapello

Mr. Scapello is Neil's superior at the library. He promotes Neil, suggesting that Neil could ascend the library's ranks if he continues working there.

Laura Simpson Stolowitch

Laura Stolowitch is Brenda's friend, who plays tennis with her when Brenda first plans to meet Neil. Brenda refers to her as "Simp."

Susan

Susan is Neil's cousin, the daughter of his Aunt Gladys and Uncle Max, with whom he resides.