Preview

Our Neighbor George's Character In 'Our Town'

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
657 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Our Neighbor George's Character In 'Our Town'
Kierston Johnson
Mrs. Atkinson
Honors English 3 - 6th Period
26 October 2016
Our Neighbor George
“The name of our town is Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire- just across the Massachusetts line: latitude 42 degrees 40 minutes; longitude 70 degrees 37 minutes” (page 4). Our Town is a play written by Thornton Wilder about growth, love, and death. Bringing you through the mundane lifestyles of everyday people in Grover’s Corner. A prime character in Our Town is seventeen year old class president, George Gibbs. George’s journey throughout the play exposes his true self, displaying his trustworthiness, acceptance of criticism, and wise characteristics. Throughout Our Town, George Gibbs demonstrates trustworthiness. In town, others trust him to keep
…show more content…
Emily confronts George about how had been acting. She had begun to believe that he had only cared about himself and the he was “conceited and stuck-up” (page 65), and others in town had begun to think the same. In response to this common opinion, George says “I… I’m glad you said it, Emily. I never thought that such a thing was happening to me. I guess it’s hard for a fella not to have faults creep into his character” (page 66). He cares about how he is viewed in the eyes of a neighbor, especially Emily who he had taken a liking …show more content…
For example, the main character, Emily gets the message across to appreciate life, or Mrs. Gibbs’ translates that you should live life to the fullest. The message delivered by Wilder through George is that you should prioritise what you need and what you want in order to have a fulfilling life. George chooses to stay with family and Emily over school, rather than missing out on things that happen back at home. These messages give readers a multitude of opportunities to learn from his writing, especially when a play like Our Town is set in a place so close to

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Yet while attributing to George Davis we find that his nature is demonstrated as being evil. “George Davis is an awful man “said Lou. Louisa leaned her back against the porch railing. “Work his children like mules and treats his mules better’n his children.” (Baldacci 186) Thus, it can be asserted that, the manner the author have revolved within the leading characters as well as the minor characters in the novel, the relate due to the way the novel is designed to compel the reader to examine the dynamics of the common society where poverty, religion and politics tend to find strong…

    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    She also goes on to talk about how life may have been better for her if she were a son instead of a daughter. She would be worthy of love because she associates strength, confidence, beauty and smarts with being male. "I would swagger through life / muscled and bold…

    • 804 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald a man named Nick Caraway moved to west egg outside of NYC to work in stocks and bonds. While he is there he meets a man named Gatsby who is his neighbor the he also meets a man named Tom who is living in an illusion in east egg and then going to NYC with his mistress and takes her from her reality while leaving his wife at home. The elitist mentality of Tom makes him think that it is ok to cheat on his wife and have someone else cheat on their husband so he can live the way he wants to.…

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In William Faulkner’s, “A Rose for Emily” Mrs. Emily Grierson is the most prominent character, illustrated by the narrator. Strong willed and determined, Emily’s performance has been characterized as strong and peculiar. The narrator touches on the fact that Emily could be intellectually insecure. In this short story Emily seems to be trapped in her ways, never wanting to seek the opportunity to develop her sense of knowledge or progress to alter the way she cooperates with the townspeople. This is demonstrated through countless situations in the story, the most significant being her denial of having to pay taxes, as she simply believes she do not have any. Further occasions…

    • 416 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    omam notes Essay Example

    • 1640 Words
    • 7 Pages

    (a) Extract : Ch. 2 ‘The boss turned to George. […] I’d shoot myself.’ Look closely at how George speaks and behaves here. What does it reveal about his character?…

    • 1640 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    On September 11, 2013, Vladimir Putin presented his viewpoint concerning the United States involvement with the country of Syria in the form of an article, respectfully titled, "A Plea for Caution From Russia." The opinion piece, which was submitted to The New York Times, makes an attempt to address the actions of the United States. Putin meticulously creates his argument by utilizing three fundamental methods of persuasion; these three methods incorporate ethos, pathos, and logos. Putin 's proficiency to include these methods when directing the citizens of American is impeccable. He…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    His life revolved around finding work, working, and running from the mischief Lennie created. George wanted nothing more than to live simply and have no worries, but he could never accomplish it. On page 7, George says “I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl”. This revealed to the reader George’s true feelings, and that his ambitions in life were not anything too extreme. He knew Lennie was a bit of a burden, but he needed him. For him, it was about being in charge and not having to listen to someone else for once. George faced many obstacles and was not able to make his dream a reality because of what life handed…

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    These conflicting concepts serve as a gateway to analyze not just Emily but the narrator as well. A close reading of the text reveals that the narrator feels a sense of guilt…

    • 150 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    9. How does the narrator influence our attitudes about Emily as the story progresses? Does our interpretation of the narrator's views change at any point when we do a second (or more) reading of the story?…

    • 317 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Miss

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How do the details in this passage add to your understanding of George and his relationship with Lennie?…

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Our Town, by Thornton Wilder, tells the story of the lives of everyday citizens of Grover’s Corners. The story is broken up into three acts pertaining to the human condition. These conditions are Daily Life, Marriage, and Death. This essay will describe the character, Emily, and her personality.…

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Time and Again

    • 371 Words
    • 2 Pages

    False perception becomes apparent with George’s frequent references to how he thinks others see him. In fact, he has no idea how the people of Lawrence see him, simply because he has no input from the townspeople. Another example is the switch in tone taken when he leaves the café. He starts out thinking the same cynical thoughts he has up to this point, but the tone briefly turns when he is thinking, “except his folks suddenly more friendly and man-to-manly”. He naively thinks it is because “he is a man of the outer world” (p. 158). In fact, it is more likely that his folks are just treating him like an adult, or maybe they are just happy to see him.…

    • 371 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, Emily Webb who later become Mrs. Gibbs is a confident, strong women. Emily is a very smart girl and in school she is at the top of her class. School is very important during this time because if these kids want any kind of feature than what society think they should be doing, they have to do good in school. Society thinks that women should grow up to be housewife and caretakers to their children and husbands while the men are out working, proving money for the family’s. George is a very important part of Emily’s life, but he did not change who she was as a person. George would always watch and admire Emily doing her homework from outside her bedroom window. He realized how important school was to her. He eventually…

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, he illustrates how interpersonal relationships changes a course of action. Within an interpersonal relationship, you feel like you must agree with the ideas of those around you so they continue to approve of your character; even if they may not be your own. This idea is showcased in Nick. He is called a watcher by his friends, a man that never puts himself into the action, setting himself up to be walked over by those he is associated with. Nick is trying to fit in with old and new money. He is constantly put into the action despite his protests, and will realize that he isn’t meant to be there, and go back to being the watcher. He believes that being around a, “consoling proximity of millionaires” (8) will make up for his small and ugly house. He finds comfort within wealth, putting up with the wealthy to be approved.…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Harrison Bergeron

    • 658 Words
    • 3 Pages

    George is an everyman, a character most readers will understand and relate to. Smart and sensitive, George has been crippled by the government’s handicapping program. He makes intelligent remarks and thinks analytically about society, but his mind is stunted. Every…

    • 658 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays