Lost in Yonkers Lesson Plan

How do Jay and Arty turn their family's tragedy into comedy?

For being a couple of teenagers, Arty and Jay are exceedingly funny and know how to characterize their unfortunate plight in humorous ways. As our protagonists, they imbue the often fraught and intense narrative with much-needed humor.

Their assessments are at once harsh and hilariously apt, as when Arty says of Grandma, "A horse fell on her when she was a kid and she hasn't taken an aspirin yet." This 13-year-old's assessment of the old immigrants' grimness cuts the tension of the scenario beautifully.

Why does Jay want to leave with Uncle Louie so badly? How does Louie react to Jay's stubbornness?