Brighton Beach Memoirs

Eugene Jerome is the protagonist of Brighton Beach Memoirs. He is the central subject of Simon’s Eugene Trilogy and is considered a semi-autobiographical character. Many of Eugene’s struggles throughout the play were taken from Simon’s life—in particular, his upbringing in a working class New York neighborhood during the Great Depression. He provides regular narration for the audiences, thus giving them a unique perspective into his family life.

Eugene begins the play as the Platonic ideal of the teenage boy. He is immature, considers himself the center of the universe, and is convinced his family doesn’t understand him. His primary gripe with his family comes from his belief that they always blame him for everything. However, he doesn’t immediately comprehend when he needs to take responsibility for his actions. Every request from his mother Kate strikes Eugene as a personal affront, whether it is asking him to clean up after himself or sending him to the deli for groceries. However, Eugene fails to realize that Kate’s actions can often be explained by the extreme weight she is forced to carry. These blind spots are in place until Act II, where he witnesses Kate’s reaction to Stanley losing his salary.