Question

Read the excerpt from Brighton Beach Memoirs, by Neil Simon. EUGENE They're clean. I'm wearing a glove. (He throws the ball into his glove again... then he looks out front and addresses the audience) I hate my name! Eugene Morris Jerome... It is the second worst name ever given to a male child. The first worst is Haskell Fleischmann... How am I ever going to play for the Yankees with a name like Eugene Morris Jerome? You have to be a Joe... or a Tony... or Frankie... If only I was born Italian... All the best Yankees are Italian... My mother makes spaghetti with ketchup, what chance do I have? (He slams the ball into his glove again) In this excerpt, the playwright provides historical context by referring to Italian food. referring to Eugene's middle name. referring to Eugene's mother. referring to Italian baseball players.

Answer 1

Answer:

referring to Italian baseball players.

Explanation:

As stated in the excerpt from "Brighton Beach Memoirs," the author Neil Simon provides the historical circumstances surrounding Eugene by mentioning that Italian baseball players were successful at the time. In that respect, a background frame of reference helps understand the setting of the play.

Answer 2

In this excerpt from "Brighton Beach Memoirs" by Neil Simon, the playwright provides historical context by referring to Italian baseball players. It is clear that in the time this play was written, there were many Italian baseball players.  The reference to Italian food, Eugene's mother, or Eugene's middle name don't give us a good reference in history as they could all be relevant in any time period. The amount of Italian baseball players, however, could give us a good idea of when the play took place historically.