Our Town Group at eNotes

In the play Out Town by Thornton Wilder what is the point of mentioning...

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:52:44 PST

In the play Out Town by Thornton Wilder what is the point of mentioning the stars in the end of act 3?

Thornton Wilder breaks a few traditional conventions in Our Town....

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:00:27 PST

Thornton Wilder breaks a few traditional conventions in Our Town. First, he breaks down the fourth wall, or the imaginary dividing line between actors and audience. The Stage Manager addresses the audience, characters from the audience interact with actors, and two concurrent scenes run at once with no props or dividing walls. Second, the play is not set up according to a "plot" triangle (Feytag's, Aristotle's, etc...). The acts run the...

Why does the author allow the audience to understand what is happening...

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:41:01 PST

Why does the author allow the audience to understand what is happening with both families?

The star symbolizes the eternal. It has been a fixed constant in the...

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:30:10 PST

The star symbolizes the eternal. It has been a fixed constant in the sky since time immemorial. The first inhabitants of earth stared at the same sky as the townspeople of Grovers Corners do now. It also symbolizes the cycle of life. There are two stars: the morning star (the sun) and the evening stars (the stars and moon). The play begins at sunup with the birth of the twins in Polishtown. Act II ends with the kids addressing the...

What does the star symbolize?

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:07:19 PST

What does the star symbolize?

Throughout the play Wilder poses many juxtapositions State the dual view...

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:35:29 PST

Throughout the play Wilder poses many juxtapositions State the dual view the author presents of the significance of human life marriage and daily life

Our Town: Writing an Epitaph

Our Town Objective Test

Our Town Three Act Graphic Organizer

what is "something" is eternal in act 3

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:45:27 PST

what is "something" is eternal in act 3

In Our town what is this mean ? whos the hero

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:42:28 PST

In Our town what is this mean ? whos the hero

Our Town - Novel Test

Thornton Wilder reveals his sense of humor in this scene at the end of...

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:28:29 PST

Thornton Wilder reveals his sense of humor in this scene at the end of Act One: "Daily Life" in which Rebecca Gibbs tells of a letter her friend addressed, ultimately, to God. Grover's Corners seems the center of the universe for the Gibbses and the Webbs. Little do they know that in the grand scheme of things, throughout the history of time, they are but grains of sand on a beach. This letter shows the hierarchy of the universe from a...

What does this mean?

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:09:26 PST

What does this mean?

The mention of M marries N in the book is not specific on what these...

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:49:18 PST

The mention of M marries N in the book is not specific on what these alphabet letters stand for. What or who exactly is M and N?

It's not uncommon to relate to characters in a play or to have shared...

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:14:29 PST

It's not uncommon to relate to characters in a play or to have shared some of their experiences--that's the very nature of drama, after all--but not every stage production with relevant characters and common experiences moves many in an audience to tears, as Our Town has often done. What is there specifically in the conclusion of that play that reaches people so deeply and personally?

Because what the audience experiences from watching Act III no doubt...

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:37:39 PST

Because what the audience experiences from watching Act III no doubt transports members back into their previous years and think about the same situation that occurred to them. That is what makes this so appealing. They are the experiences of the common person, rather than some royal lord or king.

Because the characters are so real and everyone in the audience has...

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:39:40 PST

Because the characters are so real and everyone in the audience has experienced the same events and emotions as the characters on stage. By watching the characters on stage deal with these things, it takes the audience members along with them to relive their own personal events. It is a natural reaction. That's why the play is called "Our Town"--it is relative to the characters on stage and to every person in the audience.

Audience Reaction to Our Town

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:07:10 PST

Why have audiences for decades experienced such an emotional reaction to this play, frequently being moved to tears by the manner in which Act III ends?

In Act III of the play, Emily has died. As she takes her place among...

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:34:59 PST

In Act III of the play, Emily has died. As she takes her place among others from Grover's Corners who have died, she requests to relive just one day of her life. Mrs. Soames tries to discourage her, but she insists, promising to choose a happy day. Mrs. Gibbs replies: No. At least choose an unimportant day. Choose the least important day in your life. It will be important enough. Emily chooses her twelfth birthday and watches herself in life...