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.