Love, Sex and Power Struggles
Central to the novella is the progress of the relationship of Neil and Brenda, from their initial meet-up to their parting. Their relationship frames the intricately interconnected web of love, sex, and how it affects how they relate to one another and their respective families. Neil narrates the relationship from his point of view emphasizing the class disparity between them, another major theme. Sex, at least for Neil, is more than just a pleasurable activity: it is also a means of brokering power, so much so that he actually uses the metaphor of “winning” when describing his first sexual tryst with Brenda. Having been able to win Brenda’s affections and finally bed her is to him a rise up the socio-economic ladder. Even their quarrels as lovers have undercurrents of jockeying for leverage: when Neil proposes that Brenda get a diaphragm, she is initially appalled but she eventually agrees, an act that Neil once more takes as a “win” for him. Later on however Brenda’s parents discover the diaphragm and write her a strongly worded letter to express their dismay at her life choices. The letter moves her to break off her relationship with Neil as Brenda values her loyalty to her family over her relationship with her boyfriend.
Class Divisions
Neil and Brenda’s relationship is ultimately colored by their differences in socio-economic standing. The Patimkin family hails form Newark, New Jersey, from the same poor neighborhood where Neil and his family presently live in. This is clear indication of the obvious that Patimkins—unlike Neil’s family—have risen in class as they have thusly been able to afford to move out of the old Jewish quarter; and they, most especially Brenda’s father makes sure that he is reminded of that distinction. This distinction in class is made painfully clear by Uncle Leo who congratulates Neil during Ron’s wedding for being “lucky to marry up” insinuating that he was moving up in the world because of sticking to the Patimkins. The class distinction between Neil and Brenda would eventually cause them to end their relationship. It is uncertain however if the breakup was due to the external pressure exerted by Brenda’s parents or if Brenda was actually condescending towards Neil.
Family Dynamics
Family dynamics are also a central theme in the story. The tensions created by the character’s interactions with their families that create the tension that drives the story forward and the theme is often very close intertwined with the theme of class divisions. When these two theme collide conflict really comes to a head with dynamic results. Case in point: Neil hails from a poor working class family and Brenda a wealthy family. Despite both coming from an ethnic Jewish background Neil is treated by the Patimkin Family with otherness and with not-too-subtle condescension. Brenda’s father, a cunning entrepreneur, is especially cutting when interacting with Neil, making emasculating remarks about his eating habits and being vocal about his disdain for his work as a library staff. These in tense interactions with the Patimkin fuels Neil to offset his “lower social standing” primarily in his sexual objectification of Brenda.
Self-discovery
"Goodbye, Columbus" is a journey of Neil’s self-discovery and determining his identity vis-a-vis his socio-economic standing. He undergoes considerable stress trying to fit into Brenda’s upper middle class family, despite himself being a Jew. After their relationship ends Neil he has a moment of great insight and awareness finally realizing that a man’s worth is more than his bank account and/or his residential address. The irony is not lost on the reading audience that their breakup happens during the Rosh Hashanna, the Jewish New Year, implying that he has ended a chapter of his life and is ready to begin a completely new one.
Nostalgia
There is a wistful sense of nostalgia that is a pervasive theme in the novella. The title of the novella is a reference to the graduation song who must bid farewell to their college alma mater at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. This parallels the sense of melancholy nostalgia that Neil feels for his brief but intense relationship with Brenda. Neil is aware that the moments he spent with Brenda may never happen again and his narration of events is tinged with a plaintive longing for the bittersweet memory of his youthful summer romance.
