["The Prisoner of Second Avenue"] is a comedy about the breakdown of the system in New York. Superficially, it is similar to Simon's screenplay, "The Out-of-Towners," though the main events in the movie—the rapes, the muggings, the burglaries, the endless strikes—are just the background for the play. (In the play, they are described through the deadly technique of a television news announcer in the dark between scenes.)
The foreground of the play shows the breakdown of the system as it relates to the individual. It is about a 47-year-old man who has lived by the rules and achieved success by the rules, as indicated by the home, the possessions and the way of life demanded by the rules….
This is a free excerpt of 117 words. There are 508 words (approx.
2 pages at 300 words per page) in the full critical essay.
Read the rest of this Criticism with our Simon, (Marvin) Neil 1927–: Critical Essay by Martin Gottfried Access Pass.
