Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 A Brief Biography
1.2 Purpose and Methodology
1.3 Review of Related Literature
1.4 Overview of Chapters
Chapter 2 The Subject Matters of Neil Simon's Plays
2.1 The American Dream and the Middle Class
2.2 Love and Power in a Family
2.3 Mental Stress in Simon's Plays
2.4 Conclusion
Chapter 3 The Modes of Conflicts in Simon's Plays
3.1 Conflicts of Different Personalities
3.2 Contradictions as the Result of Pluralistic Cultures
3.3 Tension Caused by Power-Seizing in a Family
3.4 Conclusion
Chapter 4 Simon's Jewish Identity and His Comic Vision
4.1 Trending Jewish-American Theatre and Identity in the 20th Century
4.2 Underlying Jewish Identity in Simon's Early Plays
4.3 Explicit Representation of Jewish Culture in Simon's Later Works
4.4 Jewish and Universal
4.5 Conclusion
Chapter 5 Conclusion
Bibliography