Our Town Analysis
2. There are multiple symbols used by the author throughout the play Our Town. For example, the time capsule mentioned by the Stage Manager in Act One symbolizes the belief that specific things from the past should be remembered. The Stage Manager says, "So I'm going to have a copy of this play put in the cornerstone and the people a thousand years from now'll know a few simple facts about us..." This symbolizes not only the want for people to appreciate the lives of the townspeople, but also the fact that the play is mentioned dissolves the barrier between the fictional world of the story and the real world outside of the play, from the audience's perspective. The author and the Stage Manager are well aware that the play and the lives
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it depicts are fictional. In addition, the hymn "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds" is sung by the choir several times throughout the play and symbolizes community, as well as glorifying things, like marriage, that tie people together. During Emily and George's wedding ceremony is when the hymn is sung for the second time.
It states, "In the meantime, Emily, in white and wearing her wedding veil, has come through the audience and mounted onto the stage. She too draws back, frightened, when she sees the congregation in the church. The choir begins: "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds." Each part of the play that the hymn is sung prominently features both Emily Webb and George Gibbs, and in this case it is clear that it symbolizes their love and unity, and the tie that binds them in marriage. Lastly, Howie Newsome and the Crowell boys is another symbol seen constantly throughout the play. They are seen in all three morning scenes in the play, repeating the exact same routine, which represents the stagnancy of the town. In the beginning of Act Two the Stage Manager states, "Three years have gone by... It's 1904... Here comes Howie Newsome delivering the milk... And there's Si Crowell delivering the papers like his brother did before him." The fact that three years had passed and the same people are doing their same daily routines shows the continuity of the town, and just how repetitive it remains. Even in the very beginning of Act Three the Stage Manager says, "This time nine years have gone by, friends−summer, 1913... You'd be surprised, though−on the whole, things don't change
much around here." The constancy of Grover's Corners is discussed a few times throughout the play by both the Stage Manager and Mrs. Webb, and tells of the stableness of the town, which is clearly shown in the nine years that have passed and things still remain the same. Whether it’s the symbol of Howie Newsome and the Crowell boys, or just knowing with so much time passing that the town remains completely stagnant, it's obvious that Grover's Corners stays in a constant cycle. These are just a few symbols used throughout the play Our Town.
it depicts are fictional. In addition, the hymn "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds" is sung by the choir several times throughout the play and symbolizes community, as well as glorifying things, like marriage, that tie people together. During Emily and George's wedding ceremony is when the hymn is sung for the second time.
It states, "In the meantime, Emily, in white and wearing her wedding veil, has come through the audience and mounted onto the stage. She too draws back, frightened, when she sees the congregation in the church. The choir begins: "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds." Each part of the play that the hymn is sung prominently features both Emily Webb and George Gibbs, and in this case it is clear that it symbolizes their love and unity, and the tie that binds them in marriage. Lastly, Howie Newsome and the Crowell boys is another symbol seen constantly throughout the play. They are seen in all three morning scenes in the play, repeating the exact same routine, which represents the stagnancy of the town. In the beginning of Act Two the Stage Manager states, "Three years have gone by... It's 1904... Here comes Howie Newsome delivering the milk... And there's Si Crowell delivering the papers like his brother did before him." The fact that three years had passed and the same people are doing their same daily routines shows the continuity of the town, and just how repetitive it remains. Even in the very beginning of Act Three the Stage Manager says, "This time nine years have gone by, friends−summer, 1913... You'd be surprised, though−on the whole, things don't change
much around here." The constancy of Grover's Corners is discussed a few times throughout the play by both the Stage Manager and Mrs. Webb, and tells of the stableness of the town, which is clearly shown in the nine years that have passed and things still remain the same. Whether it’s the symbol of Howie Newsome and the Crowell boys, or just knowing with so much time passing that the town remains completely stagnant, it's obvious that Grover's Corners stays in a constant cycle. These are just a few symbols used throughout the play Our Town.