Lost In Yonkers

Kurnitz’s Kandy is a physical symbol of Grandma. The name of the store is a demonstration of Grandma’s identity. She displays her German Jewish family name proudly above the storefront, refusing to Americanize it for the war effort. She lives above the store, making her home there and ruling it harshly; it is her domain.

It is ironic that Grandma sells candy to children because she is a bitter woman who is cruel to her own children. Grandma’s own family members observe this bitterness, and Neil Simon suggests that Grandma herself does not like candy. Grandma’s persistence in selling a product she does not like to customers she does not like suggests her determination to earn money, even at the cost of her happiness. This is much the same attitude she brings to her family, insisting that they do the hard work of providing for themselves, even if they are unhappy doing it.

The candy store also symbolizes the commonality of experiences across Kurnitz generations. When Uncle Louie catches the boys stealing from the candy store, he tells them that he and their father did the same thing many years ago. This revelation suggests the children of the family have routinely stolen from Grandma’s candy store for as long as it’s been open.