Brighton Beach Memoirs

While Kate Jerome does not work a job in the traditional sense, she plays an essential role in her household. She is a dominating presence and elicits both fear and respect from the children under her purview. Because she is not a member of the workforce in the same way as Jack or Stanley, her contributions are often taken for granted. However, she works incredibly hard to manage the household and is an emotional rock. Kate is the only one Jack can truly open up to about his fears and anxieties. It shows Jack’s unshakeable faith in her and demonstrates the extent to which she allows him to work as hard as he does. Jack occasionally doubts his religion, but he never doubts Kate.

Kate is regularly present for others; however, her family rarely returns the favor. This is one of the many issues at the foundation of her anxiety, as she sees this as an issue stemming from the childhood dynamics she shared with her sister Blanche. During a heated argument, Kate expresses that she was always forced to take on the brunt of the work, saying, “I was the workhorse and you were the pretty one” (101). Ever since she was young, Kate was relegated to the role of supporter. In childhood, that manifested in taking on extra work Blanche would or could not. In adulthood, she is expected to support her family and keep them happy. They do not always understand what happens when she fails. When a dinnertime squabble breaks out about liver, Jack tells Kate it is wasteful to buy meat the family hates to eat. Kate retorts that it is the best quality meat they can afford. Here, Kate and Jack’s roles are briefly switched. Kate proves her financial acumen despite being relegated to the house. As nationwide economic troubles worsen, her job gets harder. She must continue to please everyone while knowing she no longer has the means to do so.

Eugene constantly thinks Kate is out to get him, and he believes she blames him for any wrongdoing in the house. His opinion changes after he sees her valiantly try to conceal her feelings about Stanley losing his salary. By seeing Kate during a genuine moment of stress, Eugene is able to grasp the extent of the burden she shoulders. This allows him to gain empathy for his mother and contributes to his emotional development overall.

Jack Jerome is the no-nonsense patriarch of the Jerome-Morton household. He spends nearly every waking moment working, laboring at a garment factory by day and selling party favors by night. Despite his extreme exhaustion at the end of the day, he is still adamant about being present for his family. He describes their dinners as “family time” and is more than happy to lend an ear to any of the children in his household (46). His children Eugene and Stanley cling to his every word and take his advice very seriously. When Stanley’s job is threatened, he questions whether to ask for it back since doing so would require him to abandon his principles, something Jack encouraged him to never do. Stanley explains that Jack once told him “you always have to do what you think is right in this world and stand up for your principles” (27). Whenever there is a problem in the household, Jack is part of the solution.

Despite the respect he naturally commands from his family, Jack refuses to let that get to his head. When Stanley tries to soften him up before discussing his employment issues, Jack sees through him immediately and tells him to just cut to the chase. Jack’s response alludes to his view of fatherhood. Stanley’s cajoling suggests that he sees being responsible for advising and providing as an extraneous obligation. Jack’s observation that Stanley is trying to win him over suggests that he sees those qualities as part of his fatherly duties. This is in line with his tendency to put others first. When faced with the prospect of housing his cousin and his family, he does not hesitate to open his home to them.

Jack sometimes takes his status as provider and protector to unhealthy extremes. At the end of Act I, he is panicking while trying to figure out how to make up for the recent loss of his second job. This comes back to bite him in Act II, where the audience learns he has suffered a heart attack and must take time off work. It implies that Jack’s main problem is striking a balance between his workaholic tendencies and being there for his family. Whether Jack can or will overcome this problem is unclear since the play is taking place in Depression-era New York. As the head of his family, he is simply rising to the occasion, but this yields a very stressful and unhappy experience for Jack. He puts on a brave face in front of his family but regularly breaks down in front of his wife Kate. After losing his second job, he asks, “When does it get easier, Kate? When does our life get easier?” (68). While Jack’s life doesn't get easier over the course of the play, he takes pride in supporting his family and is grounded by their love for him.

Blanche Morton is Kate’s younger sister. After being widowed, she and her children Nora and Laurie move in with the Jeromes. Blanche is embarrassed at her situation, but she has no choice. She is unable to consistently hold a job due to her debilitating asthma and deteriorating eyesight. While Kate and Jack occasionally suggest that she remarry, she is reluctant, as she is still processing the grief of losing her husband Dave. Laurie tells Nora she regularly hears Blanche talking to Dave and has caught her sleeping with his portrait. Blanche’s emotional state complicates her relationship with her children, especially Nora. When Nora asks Blanche to make a decision about her audition, she balks, immediately delegating the responsibility to Jack. She admits that she has a difficult time making decisions after Dave’s passing. After Nora is told she can’t audition, she completely snubs Blanche and meticulously plans to be outside of the house whenever possible. Blanche is devastated by this development, but instead of resolving to change, she uses it as justification for her behavior. She says, “[Nora] knows she can get to me so easily…That’s what I get for making decisions” (91). This quote demonstrates the extent to which Blanche is an extreme people pleaser. She thinks that relinquishing her right to parent will mend her relationship with Nora, but she fails to understand that her go-getter daughter is devastated by her passivity. This trickles into other elements of her life as well. Despite Kate and Jack assuring her they are still willing to support her and her children, she is ashamed to be reliant on them for financial assistance.

Blanche’s development is prompted by an argument she has with Kate over their childhood. Blanche tries to bring up her falling out with Nora while Kate is reckoning with the potential of Stanley’s lost salary. Kate fumes at this, sharply telling Blanche she was always forced to support her as a child and that her passive nature is a source of strife. This completely shakes Blanche since, as her older sister and current support system, she respects Kate. Blanche is incredibly introspective and identifies some of her own shortcomings, but Kate’s intervention is what kicks her into gear. When Nora arrives home after a date, Blanche is finally able to stand up for herself. Nora hurls barbs at Blanche and questions her capabilities as a parent, but with Kate’s words in the back of her head Blanche is able to respond with a strong defense. Blanche is able to acknowledge her shortcomings while celebrating her strengths, and she is determined to get her life back together and move forward. Ironically, pushing back against Nora is what mends their relationship as well since articulating her feelings allows Nora to finally understand her logic. This is the catalyst for Blanche’s newfound independence. She decides to search for a full time job, is willing to push Laurie to work more around the house, and is willing to be an active decision maker in her childrens’ lives.

Stanley Jerome is Eugene’s older brother. Eugene worships him and seeks advice from him on issues of puberty and girls. Stanley is happy to provide this information, telling him it is his duty as a fellow boy. He explains, “You learn it. It’s handed down from generation to generation. That’s how our cultures spread” (57). This quote demonstrates that Stanley sees mentoring Eugene as an intrinsic obligation. However, he is frustrated that Eugene demands something in return for helping him with his employment issues instead of helping without being recompensated. Stanley feels as though Eugene constantly takes without offering anything in return.

Stanley’s disappointment in Eugene is a crucial part of Eugene’s maturing process, as is Stanley’s resolute faith in Eugene’s potential. Stanley consistently expresses the idea that Eugene will attain success that is out of Stanley’s reach. After accusing Eugene of being a lazy student, he looks at his report card and is humbled to see high marks. Stanley is convinced that his lack of academic opportunities makes him less of a person. This is exacerbated when he makes the foolish mistake of gambling away his salary. However, both boys come to realize that they have different skills. While Eugene excels in school, Stanley is a crucial part of the household. He is also extremely kind and his priorities lie with the family. When he returns after attempting to enlist in the army, he shares his views on family: “I knew Ma didn’t really mean it when she said she’d never forgive me for losing the money, but if I walked out on the family now, maybe she never would” (120). Stanley comes to learn that no matter what he thinks of himself, he will have family members in his corner.

Nora Morton is Blanche’s headstrong eldest daughter. She was deeply impacted by her father’s passing and channels her hope for the future into a dance audition. She regularly struggles with a loss of agency. When she initially tells her mother about her audition, Blanche refuses to make a decision about whether she can go. After Kate refuses to interfere, Blanche decides that Jack will decide. Nora is extremely confident in what she wants and is devastated to have no real say in what happens. She is also frustrated that Jack has the final say. Although she cares for Jack, she is resentful that a man other than her father would be involved in her life. After Blanche follows Jack’s suggestion to instruct Nora to finish school before auditioning, Nora begins to act out. She stays out late with her boyfriend and completely ignores her mother. While Blanche feels Nora is acting irrationally, Nora is simply attempting to assert the little agency she has left. She is retaliating against Blanche’s indecisiveness by making clear decisions about her life.

Like Eugene, Nora has a selfish streak and tends to assume her choices are her family’s main source of anxiety. She views broader issues based on how they impact her. A key example of this is Nora’s and Blanche’s attitudes toward sharing a home with the Jeromes. Each character is upset by their situation for different reasons. Nora is ashamed of being a boarder because she thinks it impacts her choices in life, but Blanche is ashamed because she thinks it is indicative of her failings as a parent. Nora’s self centeredness hinders her from seeing the full picture and empathizing with her mother.