Ozzie
Write an essay of 400 words in which you give your own interpretation of why Ozzie does the things that he does on the roof in this story. Be sure to use specific examples and/or quotes to support your claims.
You could think about a couple of different ways to approach this topic. One would be to think about Ozzie as a character. Psychologically, what is going on with him and why is this his response?
Another approach could be to think more about the theme and what Philip Roth wants to say through this story and this character. What point is Ozzie making about religion? Or wisdom? Or conformity? Or whatever else you think?
Picking one or the other of these approaches is probably best, although you are certainly free to try to tackle both (though your response might have to be a bit longer)