14:53-21:39 July 30, 2026 Half Moon Bay, California, USA

Hello, everyone / Bonjour, à tous

There is much suffering in the world. And illness in every direction. I had started this blog post (about the character Aunt Bella in Neil Simon’s play LOST IN YONKERS) in February this year while I was in France.  Today, July 30, 2026, while thinking about friends who are dealing with illness and/or helping loved ones who are dealing with illness… I think about the courage of each person… each person is her/his own Hero.

What archetypes do Aunt Bella in Neil Simon’s play LOST IN YONKERS personify?

Quels archétypes personnifient tante Bella dans la pièce LOST IN YONKERS de Neil Simon ?

Bella’s mother calls her 36-year-old daughter “a child”.

Bella’s nephew Jay tells his younger brother Arty that in school, they called Bella “Whacko” because Bella’s mother would whack Bella on the head every time Bella did or said something “wrong”. While looking at a family photo of their father with his mother and siblings, Jay comments that there was something wrong with everyone in the family.

Bella tells her nephews that her mind wanders. “The kids in school used to say ‘Hey, Bella, Lost-and-Found called and said come and get your brains,’ except I didn’t really think that was so funny.”

Yet, Bella is the one who makes decisions that profoundly improve her nephews’ lives.

Pourtant, c’est Bella qui prend les décisions qui améliorent profondément la vie de ses neveux.

In Christopher Vogler’s list of archetypes, Bella would be:

Herald; Mentor; Ally; Hero

Bella is vibrant, compassionate, loving, and brave.

Dans la liste des archétypes établie par Christopher Vogler, Bella correspondrait aux rôles suivants :

Héraut ; Mentor ; Alliée ; Héros

Bella est pleine de vie, compatissante, aimante et courageuse.

Mercedes Ruehl portrays Bella in the stage play and also in the movie.

Mercedes Ruehl incarne Bella aussi bien dans la pièce de théâtre que dans le film.

Thank you, YouTube Movies & TV, for posting the movie version of LOST IN YONKERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A94Jes2rhd0

Story setting: Yonkers, New York, USA; summer 1942 (USA at war with Germany and Japan)

Narrator:  15-year-old Jay

Opening scene:  Jay’s father is driving a car that doesn’t belong to him. Jay is sitting in front passenger seat; his younger brother Arty is in the back seat. Everyone is sweating.  They are going to see their father’s mother whom they haven’t seen in two years.  Jay and Arty’s mother died three months ago.

Movie – Casting by Jennifer Shull

Movie – Music by Elmer Bernstein

https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/neil-simon

The article: ‘LOST IN YONKERS’ AGAIN MERCEDES RUEHL RECREATES AWARD-WINNING ROLE FOR FILM

https://www.mcall.com/1993/05/14/lost-in-yonkers-again-mercedes-ruehl-recreates-award-winning-role-for-film/

Here’s the link to my blog post: “Story Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “When illness takes us onto a Hero’s Journey” published on October 23, 2023.

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/story-consultant-teresa-jade-leyung-says-when-illness-takes-us-onto-a-heros-journey-2/

I wish everyone vibrant health and happiness always!

Je souhaite à tous une santé éclatante et beaucoup de bonheur pour toujours !

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Author / Blogger / Story-Theme Consultant / Photo Historian

https://m.youtube.com/@teresajadeleyung/videos

https://www.youtube.com/@teresajadeleyung/shorts

http://www.OurBeautifulBrains.com   and  https://LoveMadeOfHeart.com/blog/ 

go to Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog on Wellness, Story Themes, Archetypes

Thank you, Linguee DeepL Translate !