An Analysis of Neil Simon
Marvin Neil Simon is one of few men who may be considered a "living legend." Among the most prosperous of all playwrights, Simon has written his own chapter in theatre history. Such works as The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park, and The Star Spangled Girl immediately grab the attention of any theatre frequent. Critical analysis of his works not only reveals his cleverness, but also his distinct writing style. The ease in which Simon elicits a laugh from the crowd is unparalleled by any contemporary playwright.
?the fact is indisputable that a Neil Simon comedy makes the audiences laugh, and this laughter is louder, longer and more constant than that produced by any other modern dramatist.(Berkowitz)
Laughter of this type is the constant throughout Simon's works; his ability to arouse such merriment is the key to his success.
It would be ridiculous to say that the life of a man does not affect his work, and in Simon's case this is exceptionally true. Born in New York on Independence Day, 1927, Simon grew up in a relatively normal fashion for a Jewish boy in New York. Religious influence is clearly seen in many of his main characters, such as Eugene Jerome (Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, Broadway Bound), in many of Simon's plays. It was not until 1959, when with the help of a friend, William Friedberg, he wrote his first play: The Adventures of Marco Polo: A Musical Fantasy. The play proved to be the first of a long line of incredible works. Individual experience proves to be at the heart of almost every play Simon has written. Perhaps this is seen most obviously in his trilogy of plays Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and Broadway Bound. The plays follow Eugene Jerome, a young Jewish boy, through his experiences growing up, in boot camp, and in Broadway. They are quite literally an autobiographical account of Simon's identical experiences. The death of his first wife Joan, in 1973, strongly influenced the tone as well as the content of his play Chapter Two, for within it he questions fate as well as faith. The Odd Couple, Simon's most distinguished work, is not an experience of Simon's. However, the play does mirror the experience of his brother Danny, in which he lived with his divorced friend. Simon himself can best summarize the effect his life has had on his work
The theme is me, my outlook on life. If you spread [my career] out like a map, you can chart my emotional life: some of the growth, some of the changes, some of the side trips.(Simon)
Recognizing written works according to their genre is important in the classification of literature. The fact that Simon chooses the genre of writing plays says much about his personality. Simon obviously enjoys entertaining the public and eliciting laugher from his observers. Playwriting, therefore, must have come as an easy choice of vocation. In any other century, Simon's career and choice of genre would have ended at playwriting but due to twentieth century technology, his career has been expanded to fit a modern role. This new technology has not only allowed Simon to expand his genre to screenplays, but also to expand his pockets as well. Plays such Biloxi Blues, The Odd Couple, and Brighton Beach Memoirs, have all been transformed into films of varying success. These films, of course, have contributed to Simon's immense prosperity. Understanding genre is a key component in the understanding of Simon's writing style.
Simon is a comedian. His style reflects that of a comedian, but what makes his comedy "funny"? This question continues to spark debate among critics whose views of Simon's plays are based on single line jokes, to complex combinations of sorrow and humor. As the critics continue to argue their points, Simon continues to make his audience laugh. Because of Simon's abundant popularity, theatre goers expect a laugh as they enter the theatre. Seldom are they disappointed, for Simon is known to open curtain on some of the wildest and outlandish scenes. Poker addicts and card players alike find the opening scene of The Odd Couple extremely funny, for the play begins with a most amusing and memorable card game. The audience is then bombarded with light sarcasm and witty jokes. These jokes, however, are quite complex in structure themselves. As one reads through The Odd Couple, or any other Simon play, he finds it hard to segregate Simon's jokes from his plain dialogue. Even when one identifies one of these jokes, he almost always finds it flat and unammusing. Then why are the jokes funny? The answer may lie not in the content of the jokes themselves but rather in formulation. As with all good jokes, Simon too builds his jokes up to a punch line of sorts. It is in this manner which Simon "primes" his audience while building up to his jokes. Whether the joke is humorous or not the audience is prepared to laugh, and therefore usually does. The explanation of why Simon's jokes are funny when performed, but bland when read, becomes sorely obvious. The laughter echoing throughout the theatre at one of Simon's play cannot solely be attribute to audience preparation, but must also be credited to changes in the pitch and tone of Simon's characters. As with many of Simon's plays, The Odd Couple has a loud, boisterous, central character, Oscar. Oscar's role in the play is not of that strictly dealing with the plot, but also to add a mild form of comic relief. His exasperated tone not only announces a joke is coming, but adds to its hilarity. These two points are most clearly illustrated in the following excerpt:
OSCAR: They broke up! The entire marriage is
Through?
SPEED: After twelve years?
VINNIE: They were such a happy couple.
MURRAY: Twelve years doesn't mean you're a happy
couple. It just means you're a long couple?
The conversation between Oscar, Speed, and Vinnie serves to alert the audience of an impending joke. As Murray comments on the previous dialogue he begins to fluctuate the tone in his voice, stressing the two words happy and long. The audience now recognizes the joke, and erupts with laughs. It is at the heart of Simon's comedies where lies his ability to amusingly describe everyday incidents, which his audiences are all very familiar with. By writing about common occurrence, Simon touches on a social nerve. Simon, like most comedians, has the ability to tickle that nerve in such a way that the audience will burst forth with laughter. Simon certainly can write a humorous play, but this humor also serves as a mask for his serious underlying themes.
As one becomes familiar with Simon's plays, certain themes become apparent. In The Odd Couple the recently divorced friends, Oscar and Felix, become roommates. Although the two start out as cronies, their opposite living styles almost destroy their friendship. Confrontation of the many problems associated with divorce is only the underlying theme associated with The Odd Couple. How Oscar and Felix manager to save their relationship, however, is its dominant theme. "Simon's message is that a relationship need not be destroyed simply because it needs some work."(?) In one variation or another, relationships are at the center of Simon's works. Often Simon focuses on the dysfunctional aspects of family life such as self-indulgence, adultery, divorce, anxiety, and the generation gap. Topics as such would seem depressing and sorrowful, but Simon relieves their serious overtones with light comedy. Felix, for example, is forced to deal with tremendous anxiety after his divorce, which leaves him suicidal. Under normal circumstances the plight of this poor man would send a wave of pity through the crowd, but Simon uses the situation as an opportunity to insert humor. The following passage includes Felix's unwilling responses to Oscar's barrage of question, in which the seriousness of the situation is camouflaged by Simon's use of comedy.
FELIX: No, I didn't. I didn't take anything.
?
FELIX: Just a few, that's all.
?
FELIX: No! Don't call her. Don't call her. If she
hears I took a whole bottle of pills?
Simon thus successfully masks an incredibly serious theme with a thin shroud of humor. As if the plot did not already contain enough serious undertones, Simon develops yet another, more significant one. This theme involves the relationship which Oscar and Felix now share. The two had been roommates and the living styles had driven one another over the edge. In the climax of the play Oscar and Felix are enveloped in an enormous argument, during which Oscar throws Felix out. During the conclusion of the play the two companions come to their senses, acknowledge what one another have done for each other, and go peacefully on their separate ways. Although this type of ending may seldom occur in real life, it does in The Odd Couple in order to illustrate Simon's most critical theme: A relationship should not be dissolved over insignificant reasons.
Although Simon patterns the plots of his plays after real life situations, his characters have their own unique qualities. The Odd Couple's Oscar and Felix are two such characters. Oscar plays the role of generic guy, he is irresponsible, disorderly, and is egocentric. Felix, on the other hand, is quite feminine. He picks up after Oscar, cooks him dinner, and renovates his apartment so it is spotless. Being a contemporary play, many questions have arisen involving the sexuality of these two main characters. Critics point to clich�s directed at Felix by Oscar such as "Honey, I'm home!" and comments muttered by Felix such as "I haven't even thought about a woman in weeks". Concluding that Oscar and Felix are actually homosexuals is a quite unique twist of plot, but with actual analysis can be easily debunked. The purpose of The Odd Couple was not to question homophobia, but to examine the strength of a relationship between friends while mirroring the difficulties of living with someone. Remarks voiced by Felix and Oscar, which some consider "sketchy" are simply an element of Simon's comedy.
As with most plays, language and literary devices play a significant role within the play. Simon takes full advantage of language, utilizing it to make the connection between his characters and audience closer. Knowing the level of language (in Simon's case the middle class) spoken by the audience is crucial if a playwright wishes to broadcast his message. Simon is faced with the task of walking the fine line between slang and formal writing. The following quote by Gwendolyn (The Odd Couple) is a clear indicator that Simon has mastered such trapeze work.
GWENDOLYN: But of course, that's all water under
the bridge now, eh? Er, I'm terribly sorry, but
I think I've forgotten your name?(277)