Goodbye, Columbus #2

One parallel is between Aunt Gladys and Mr. Patimkin. Both of them are always bothering Neil about his food, under the incorrect assumption that he never eats enough. The parallel between them is clearly shown on pages 56 and 57. In the first quote, Neil is talking about how Mr. Patimkin treats him when he eats dinner with them. In the second quote, Aunt Gladys has just been told that Neil will be staying with the Patimkins for a week.

"...Mr. Patimkin continued to think I ate like a bird. When invited to dinner I would, for his benefit, eat twice what I wanted, but the truth seemed to be that after he'd characterized my appetite that first time, he never really bothered to look again." (56)

"'You don't get enough to eat here? You leave over sometimes I show your Uncle Max your plate it's  shame. A child in Europe could make a four-course meal from what you leave over" (57).

For whatever reason, both Aunt Gladys and Mr. Patimkin have a strange fascination with food. It's almost a way of life for them.