Brighton Beach Memoirs Literary Elements

Semi-Autobiographical Play

English

Brighton Beach, New York, during the Great Depression

The point of view is that of Eugene Morris Jerome, the protagonist.

Reflective and down to earth; the mood in the Jerome home is often stressful and worried.

Eugene if the protagonist; there are no specific antagonistic characters, but the fact that the household has increased by three people is an antagonistic situation.

There is conflict between Stanley and his boss at work, who is abusive and offensive, but whom Stanley can never fully stand up to because he wants to keep the job.

There is no specific climax, just a series of events that come to a head.

Extended family moving into the home foreshadows the additional financial pressures that fall upon Eugene's father and older brother.

Eugene tells that it was hard to make ends meet, which in an understatement; it was the Great Depression and families were constantly facing the fear of being destitute.

Eugene alludes to famous baseball players of the nineteen thirties.

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Eugene's Aunt wants to move into the family home but she doesn't want to contribute anything to the household financially.

There is a parallel between the Jerome family finances and the general economic position of the nation at the time.

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The audience is used as the fourth wall during the play.