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Question:

lilcjb
lilcjb
Student
High School - 9th Grade

Describe what Emily sees when she relives her 12th birthday in Act III. Why does witnessing these events upset her so much?

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Posted by lilcjb on Monday January 21, 2008 at 5:08 PM and tagged with act iii, birthday, character, emily, our town, themes.

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  1. linda-allen Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Before taking her place among the dead for eternity, Emily is allowed to "relive" the happiest day of her ife. She chooses her twelfth birthday. First, she sees people going about the business of the day, and then her family has gifts for her. She notices how young her parents look to her now.

    The fact that people rush around in their busy lives without really seeing each other or paying attention to each is distressing to Emily. She wants to take it all in, savor each moment and each word spoken, but ordinary life goes by too quickly. She realizes that it's the little things of life, the things people take for granted--a smile, a hug, a comforting word, a little attention--that really matter.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/our-town/summary

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    Posted by linda-allen on Tuesday January 22, 2008 at 12:00 PM