Portnoy's Complaint
Who is Ronald Nimkin from Portnoy's Complaint and what is their importance?
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Ronald, like Alex, is portrayed as a talented, intelligent young man completely under the controlling, manipulative thumb of his Jewish mother. According to Alex's narrative, Ronald commits suicide, a fate that Alex escapes (the narrative suggests) because of his defiant determination to get away from the stifling influences around him—his mother, his father, his religion.