He’s not aware of the extent to which he’s drifted away from the old neighborhood. He’s been assimilated into the world of his wife, and he’s lost his identity, and his soul goes with it.

It’s the genteel anti-Semitism of the time. Jews were politely shut out of the country clubs and the higher echelons of WASP culture.

Simon is really his savior, but he put himself at risk. He did something unethical for moral reasons. It’s hard to imagine him doing that now. He’s become a hollow man. He’s a very compromised...

The establishment, in the person of Baird, resents Simon’s success. He’s been able to crash the gate, as it were. Jews were finally starting to achieve some degree of success and were breaking through the...