47 pages • 1 hour read
Philip RothPortnoy's Complaint
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1969A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Alex’s Nose
In his discussions with the therapist, Alex returns frequently to the subject of his nose. To Alex, his nose is a constant reminder of his Jewish identity; to the audience, Alex’s obsession with his nose symbolizes the anxieties caused by his preoccupation with his Jewish identity. That Alex cannot remove or change his nose is a symbolic reminder that he cannot stop being Jewish. Instead, this symbol is fixed and stares back at him every time he looks in a mirror. Furthermore, he cannot hide his nose in public, so it becomes a symbol to everyone around him of his enduring Jewishness. In each chapter, Alex returns to the subject of his physical features, and his nose is the most frequent recipient of his ire. His nose becomes the focal point of all his anxieties, becoming a public broadcast of the aspect of his existence that he finds most confusing.
As well as functioning as a symbol of Alex’s inner turmoil, his nose symbolizes his relationship with his father. Alex believes that he inherited his father’s nose, as he explains while tracing an outline of his face on his father’s office paper. In tracing his own nose using his father’s instruments, Alex frames himself and his appearance as a product of his father’s design. Not only did Alex inherit his father’s physical features, but he inherited many of his psychological anxieties regarding life in gentile America as a Jewish man. The nose could be something for the father and son to bond over, reminding them how much they have in common. Instead, Alex chooses to quietly seethe about his father’s influence over his life and focuses on his nose as a symbol of this unwanted inheritance.
Alex shares other people’s views of his nose. He mentions to the therapist that several women (all gentile women) remarked that his nose is attractive. Alex resents their remarks and feels as though they fetishize his Jewish identity. This resentment is a reminder of his hypocrisy since he objectifies women on a daily basis; he literally and figuratively fetishizes every part of women’s bodies. That he resents anyone being attracted to his nose is a reminder of his lack of empathy; he refuses to trust anyone who disagrees with his own low opinion of himself. As such, any compliment on his nose kills the relationship, telling Alex that he can no longer trust this person’s judgment.
Genitalia
Alex connects with the world through his genitals. Though he feels alienated and marginalized as a Jewish man in a predominantly Christian society, he hopes that making physical connections with others—principally through sex—will allow him to achieve some degree of understanding of the world around him. As a result, Alex fixates on his genitalia as a potential solution to his social alienation. To him, his penis represents the best way to combat the anxieties he feels as a Jewish man in America. That this proposed solution never works is a sign that Alex is not the intellect he believes himself to be. Rather, he invents an academic solution to explain away his constant desire to have sex. He intellectualizes his animalistic urges. With this, his focus on his penis symbolizes the way Alex lies to himself about what he actually wants.
Throughout the novel, Alex encounters other people’s genitalia in non-sexual contexts. The primary example of this is his visit to the bathhouse with his father. In this moment, young Alex sees many middle-aged and elderly Jewish men naked for the first time. He also sees his father naked and is able to situate his naked father in this communal context. The men’s nakedness is a symbolic demonstration of Alex’s place in the community. He is a Jewish man in a Jewish community; he can see beyond the clothes to the raw flesh underneath, but this insight is limited to this community. With this, he is reminded of his responsibilities as a Jewish man, and he feels the pressure to continue this tradition even if he cannot settle down with a woman. The memory of the naked men’s bodies lingers with him because he feels ashamed of shying away from his responsibilities, as though he is letting down his people.
Alex is obsessed with women’s genitalia; his lewd remarks and frequent profanity often invoke images of women’s genitalia. This language is a reminder that he is profaning against social expectations and rules. His obsession and willingness to socially transgress are part of the psychological condition that gives the novel its title. Portnoy’s Complaint posits that an obsession with sex and genitalia is in constant combat with feelings of guilt and shame. In this sense, Alex is symbolically defined by the pursuit of other people’s genitalia, to the point where an entire medical condition is named after him.
Israel
Alex ends his narration with an anecdote about a trip to Israel. He goes to Israel immediately after leaving The Monkey behind in Europe. For Alex, Israel operates as two different symbols depending on his proximity to the country. Before he goes, Israel is a land of opportunity and escape. After spending so long feeling ostracized and marginalized in his non-Jewish country, he hopes that Israel might be a place where he can be part of the majority and where he does not have to think about or be reminded of his Jewish identity. Ironically, Alex holds Israel up as a symbol of non-Jewishness, as a place where he can simply be himself without having to think about what distinguishes him from others. After the breakup with The Monkey, he is desperate to place himself in a different psychological context, so Israel makes perfect sense as his ultimate destination. To Alex, Israel symbolizes relief after yet another period of emotional turmoil.
After Alex goes to Israel, its meaning changes. Alex arrives in Israel and discovers that, while the country’s demographic is indeed largely Jewish, being around so many people like him ends up reminding him of his memories of marginalization. Rather than feel part of a cohesive society, he is reminded of all the small differences between Israel and his home country. He is still unable to forget his past, even though his Jewishness is a non-factor in this country. His anxieties remain, and Israel does not provide the relief that he had hoped it would. Instead, Israel comes to represent that there might be a deeper issue at play. That Alex returns from Israel and goes to therapy suggests that he recognizes that this is the case. For Alex, the symbolic meaning of Israel changes over the course of a single vacation and ultimately suggests that he is in desperate need of medical help.
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