LAURIE I'm almost through, Ma.
BLANCHE All right, darling. Don't get up too quickly.
KATE (To LAURIE) You have better color today, sweet-heart. Did you get a little sun this morning?
LAURIE I walked down to the beach.
BLANCHE Very slowly, I hope?
LAURIE Yes, Ma.
BLANCHE That's good.
EUGENE (Turns to the audience again) She gets all this special treatment because the doctors say she has kind of a flutter in her heart . . .
—Brighton Beach Memoirs,
Neil Simon
Why does Eugene speak to the audience?
He helps us understand why people are so nice to Laurie.
He tells us why a heart flutter is dangerous.
He makes us feel sorry for Laurie.
He lets us know that he’s tired of the special treatment Laurie receives.
