Progressive Life In his play, Our Town, Thornton Wilder uses a unique structure in comparison to other plays. ... He creates scenes that are universally understood by any person in any town. ... He does this in an effort to continue universalizing his play. ... In the play, several of the characters are dead and are reflecting back on their lives from a different point of view. ... Wilder succeeds, throughout his play, in recreating the inspiring quality of everyday living. ...

• Word Count: 527
• Approx Pages: 2

We are all given gifts of different kinds in our lives. ... A happy home in a small town is shattered by tragedy. ... Suddenly, a pregnant stranger stops in town and decides to stay. ... The setting is in a 1950's small Midwestern town. Children play in the streets, on the skating pond, and attend the movie house. ...

• Word Count: 1146
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

What the audience does not know is how the play will plot out. ... Beatrice and Benedick say this in the beginning of the play. ... They let the people in the town of Messina, friends and family know how they felt about each other, even when everyone doubted that either of them would ever love. ... Like all comedies, the play ends in happy matrimony. ... Let's have a dance , that we may lighten our own hearts and [our familes]" (100-01). ...

• Word Count: 1141
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Yet even as he played with his theme for laughs, Wilde saw earnestness as being a key ideal in Victorian culture. ... On one level, these puns demonstrate an interest in playing games with the English language. However, it is also important to remember that this is a play and is therefore meant to be performed live before an actual audience. ... Jack announces that he has come to town to ask Gwendolen to marry him; Algernon responds, "I thought you had come up for pleasure? ... Lines such as these are what make the play truly memorable because they mock our own preconceived ideas about marriag...

• Word Count: 946
• Approx Pages: 4

Here we get our first glimpse of the attraction between Janey Carver and Benjamin Hood. ... Later, after Thanksgiving, a huge ice storm rolls into the small Connecticut town in which the story takes place. ... Though its story is somewhat confusing and it's message is puzzling, the actors play their roles well and Lee's cinematography is superb. ...

• Word Count: 969
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Through the story, author Chekhov shows us that sometime the moral standards will stand in our way toward freedom and happiness we desire. It also shows us that sometimes our freedom and happiness is restricted by the society we live in. ... He met Anna during his vacation in a small town called Yalta. ... Once again the society plays a role of obstacle in their way toward happiness and freedom. ... As we can see, our main character of the story is a victim of the society standards and forced marriage. ...

• Word Count: 938
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School