Historical Context
New York City: A Tumultuous Tale of the 1970s
Sheridan Morley, in his incisive review for Spectator, reflects on
The Prisoner of Second Avenue as a narrative set against a backdrop
where both its protagonist and Manhattan itself teeter on the verge of a
monumental breakdown. The seismic shifts of 1971, the likely setting of the
play, vividly capture the city’s spiraling descent. During this tumultuous
period, a strike by the city police coincided with eight thousand other state,
county, and municipal workers, as well as local members of the Communications
Workers of America, withdrawing their services. Crime surged in the wake of
this chaos, resulting in the tragic deaths of two city officers and assaults on
Puerto Rican Day Parade attendees. September saw the eruption of riots within
New York State's Attica Prison, a maelstrom that raged for several days. Once
the dust settled, the grim tally stood at thirty-two inmates and eleven guards
and police officers lost.
Social institutions in the 1970s were pushed to their breaking point, with rampant inner-city poverty, escalating drug abuse, and surging youth crime overwhelming law enforcement and social services. The city witnessed a mass exodus, particularly among the white middle class, leading to a depleted tax base. By the decade's closure, nearly one million had fled, a demographic decline that would take two decades to reverse. These tumultuous factors coalesced into a financial crisis, threatening to tip New York into fiscal oblivion. Mayor John Lindsey grappled with the looming specter of bankruptcy. Initially, President Gerald Ford rebuffed appeals for federal assistance, but under the fierce scrutiny and criticism of the New York City press, he relented, approving a much-needed loan.
Literary Style
Black Humor: A Dance with Darkness
C. Hugh Holman and William Harmon eloquently describe "black humor" as the
artful blend of the grotesque and the nonsensical to evoke laughter from the
abyss of modern stories and plays. Simon skillfully wields both verbal wit and
situational irony to convey Mel's acerbic take on his reality, underscoring its
startling absurdity. Mel's sharp tongue, dripping with sarcasm and
self-mockery, becomes his shield against despair. In an attempt to mask his
perceived inadequacies, he often derides his wife. For instance, when Edna
suggests relocating to a more affordable country, Mel quips: “All right, call a
travel agency. Get two economy seats to Bolivia. We’ll go to Abercrombie’s
tomorrow, get a couple of pith helmets and a spear gun.” Here, he tries to
soften his predicament with jest, and when Edna retorts, “Don’t talk to me like
I’m insane,” he fires back with, “I’m halfway there, you might as well catch
up.”
Throughout the play, situational black humor finds its spotlight, especially at the climax of each act where Mel is unceremoniously soaked with water. These slapstick moments not only offer a humorous reprieve but also lay bare Mel’s profound mortification, amplifying his inner turmoil. These scenes starkly illustrate the futility of his efforts to resist the inequities of his world.
Compare and Contrast
-
1971: Between 1965 and 1971, the crime rates in New York
City surge dramatically, soaring by an astounding 91 percent.
Today: In the early years of the twenty-first century, violent crime rates in the United States and New York decline, only to climb once more as the year 2005 unfolds.
-
1971: On January 14, a massive strike is launched by
twenty-five thousand members of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association in New
York City.
Today: The strength of labor unions diminishes, battered by the closure of factories, notably those in the auto industry, and the shifting of jobs to countries with cheaper...
(This entire section contains 148 words.)
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labor forces.
-
1971: On June 13, a Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York
City is violently attacked by racists, leaving hundreds injured in its wake.
Today: Minorities ascend to influential roles in the realms of business and government, with figures like former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Hispanic Senator Jon Corzine leading the way.
Media Adaptations
In 1975, the cinematic rendition of the play came to life under the direction of Melvin Frank, featuring the legendary talents of Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft. The screenplay, skillfully crafted by Simon, garnered accolades, with Bancroft earning a prestigious BAFTA Film Award nomination and Simon being recognized with a nomination for a Writers Guild of America Screen Award. This compelling film continued to be accessible to audiences as of 2006.
In 2001, L.A. Theatre Works breathed new life into the story with their unabridged cassette version. This auditory experience was brought to vivid life by the voices of Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason, and it remained available for listeners as of 2006.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Brandes, Philip, Review of The Prisoner of Second Avenue, in Los
Angeles Times, September 17, 1992, p. 14.
Glaviano, Cliff, Review of The Prisoner of Second Avenue, in Library Journal, January 2001, pp. 184, 185.
Holman, C. Hugh, and William Harmon, A Handbook to Literature, 5th ed., Macmillan, 1986, p. 58.
Morley, Sheridan, “Tricks not Treats,” in Spectator, April 10, 1999, pp. 46, 47.
Simon, Neil, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, in The Collected Plays of Neil Simon, Vol. 2, pp. 231–99.
Tietzman, Peter, “The Ominous Apple,” in Neil Simon: A Casebook, edited by Gary Konas, Garland Publishing, 1997, p. 148.
Further Reading
Hischak, Thomas S., American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama,
1969–2000, Oxford University Press, 2001. Hischak examines the new trends
in American theater that emerged during the last few decades of the twentieth
century. He includes an analysis of The Prisoner of Second Avenue, as
well as of Simon’s later plays.
Koprince, Susan, Understanding Neil Simon, University of South Carolina Press, 2002. In this assessment of Simon’s career as a playwright, Koprince provides detailed explications of the style and themes of several of his plays, concluding that Simon has often been wrongfully overlooked by scholars.
Simon, Neil, Neil Simon Monologues: Speeches from the Works of America’s Foremost Playwright, Dramaline Publications, 1996. Simon collects his best monologues in this book, which range from the serious to the comic. The collection offers a valuable tool for actors preparing for the plays as well as for students since a summary and analysis of each monologue is included.
———, Rewrites: A Memoir, Simon and Schuster, 1998. Simon reflects on his career and his personal life, from his childhood through his early years as a television comedy writer, to his huge success as a playwright into the 1970s. He includes a discussion of his art and the influences on it as well as honest accounts of his problems with writer’s block and personal relationships.