Lost In Yonkers

Grandma Kurnitz is a domineering figure in the play. She casts a long shadow over the plot, just as she has had a profound influence on the lives of her children. Neil Simon demonstrates Grandma’s strength of character principally via other characters’ discussions of her. When Eddie brings his two boys to the house, for example, he meets with Grandma in private while his sons discuss their dislike of her. Eddie emerges occasionally to nervously direct his sons’ behavior, suggesting he fears their behavior will upset her. The audience does not see or hear from Grandma until after several characters note how much she scares them. In this way, Simon presents Grandma as a fearsome, imposing figure before she even steps foot on stage. This method of crafting character through absence continues when Uncle Louie arrives; even the gangster of the family sneaks quietly into the apartment because he does not want to talk to his mother. The other characters depict Grandma as a totalitarian figure who dominates those in her life and refuses to compromise. In this sense, Grandma is the play’s antagonist, complicating and interfering with other characters’ attempts to control their own lives.