Both King Lear by Neil Simon and Lost in Yonkers by William Shakespeare have plots revolving around the families in both plays. The characters and their relationships in these two tragedies enable the reader to interpret the underlying theme of exile and its effect on each story. While Simon uses Jay and Artie’s forced moment of exile to demonstrate dysfunctionality through generational trauma brought on by Grandma, Shakespeare illustrates how exile changes Lear’s perception of those around him through the storm. Jay and Arty are forced to live with their Grandma because their father, Eddie, has to work around the country to repay the loans he took to pay for their mother’s treatment. Familial tensions are present at the start of the play with the boys’ characterization of the seemingly dysfunctional members of their…show more content… Her stern behavior is a result of her childhood in Germany, characterized by antisemitism and trauma -- Louie describes her father taking her to a political rally in Berlin, where he brutally dies and she has her foot crushed when a horse falls on her (Simon 2.1). Louie explains that rather than pay to get her foot treated, she uses her money to move to the US to provide a better life for her family. Comically, Artie is simply shocked that she has never taken aspirin before, a metaphor for her resilience. In addition, her resilience and apparent emotional detachment after Aaron and Rosie's deaths heighten the trauma within the family and influence the perceptions of her among her remaining children. Each of them, with their unique experiences, is affected in ways that are revealed throughout the play. Bella, for example, is only treated as a child due to her mental handicap, despite her newfound feelings regarding her womanhood and sexual
