ot fully assimilated to society.
             On the other side of the coin there is the Klugman family. They represent the old world. They live in the valley with the rest of the Jewish immigrants and they live meagerly because they do not have that much and they have not gained much success in their lives while living in the United States. The two characters that represent the old and new world are Brenda Patimkin and Neil Klugman. To Neil, Brenda represents what he does not have, money and status within the Jewish community. Her family can belong to the country club and they can afford to have nice things. Brenda also represents sex to Neil therefore she represents two of the major themes of the novel, sex and money. To Neil there are many differences in the Patimkin family that make them very different from his own. They are able to eat in the dining room instead of the kitchen. They have a maid that makes the meals and cleans up after them. They also have a refrigerator full of fruit that is always full. This is all the ideal life for Neil, and when you put Brenda in the mix you ha
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