Philip Roth

The protagonist and main point-of-view character of the novel is a young, fictionalized version of the book’s author, Philip Roth. The book version of Roth appears to share basic biographical information with the author, such as birth date, place of childhood residence, and names of immediate family members. Philip is seven years old at the beginning of the novel and nine years old at the end. He lives in Newark, New Jersey with his father Herman Roth, his mother Bess Roth, and his brother Sanford Roth. Philip is portrayed as highly neurotic and fearful, partially as a result of the rising tide of anti-Semitism in America during the narrative. Philip holds an idyllic view of his neighborhood in Newark and enjoys the company of the other Jewish kids that live in the neighborhood. One exception is Seldon Wishnow, whose unfortunate circumstances and clingy personality unnerve the...