Lost In Yonkers Sparknotes

In “Lost in Yonkers” Neil Simon provides a description of American life during the devastating WW II. The play follows the Kurnitz family, and the lives of all the family members throughout the play. Simon clearly displays how Americans have more opportunities especially during the 1940’s. Simon also depicts the hardships of each character in order to show that American life and life in general comes with some challenges. Although Simon clearly portrays American life as life with some hardships, he shows there are more opportunities.
Simon shows that there are significant hardships in American life. In the play the reader learns as soon as the eighth page that all of Jays’ Aunts and Uncle all have some type of hardship they are trying to overcome. During the beginning of the reader can tell that Aunt Bella surely has some type of issue because she, “day dreams so much” (Simon 9). Simon hints at something being off about her because he says day …show more content…
Throughout the play Simon shows how Americans have more opportunities. Simon displays this through the Kurnitzs’ not only having their own candy store, but also through Eddie being able to pay off his debt. Eddie states, “And a miracle happened…This country went to war… without even the slightest idea of what I’m even doing I can make that nine thousand dollars in less than a year” (Simon 23). Furthermore, Simon shows how the war opens more opportunities to get jobs with barely even knowing what to do. This job opportunity helped Eddie be able to pay off his debt in less than a year. Grandma Kurnitz comments, “when Louie left for the army. I thought about sending you the money… But then I said no… Eddie has to do things himself.” The fact that Grandma Kurnitz even had nine thousand dollars shows the reader that her candy store was doing tremendous. This also portrays how you have more opportunities in America, despite the war going