In accordance with the love motif of matrimony, Thornton Wilder uses George and Emily’s wedding to illustrate the idea that everyone should cherish every moment of their lives. In her aside before Emily and George exchange vows, Mrs. Webb provides the first instance of this theme by saying “I don’t know why on Earth I should be crying … there was Emily eating her breakfast as she’s done for seventeen years and now she’s off to eat it in someone else’s home” (72). In saying this, Mrs. Webb demonstrates why one needs to cherish every second of every day; time flies by quickly. She does not appreciate the simple pleasure of eating breakfast every day with her daughter, until Emily goes to have breakfast with someone else. Thus, Mrs. Webb learns
Perhaps Miss Emily had wished it that way. Faulkner tells of her two cousins, who come at her death notice at once, the same cousins who visited when she was courting Homer Barron. It was the cousins who had been there when she was ordering men’s things, giving the town belief that Miss Emily and Homer had wed. That she had changed the proclaimed bachelor’s opinion on nuptials.
“The Lost Children of Wilder” is a book about how the foster care system failed to give children of color the facilities that would help them lead a somewhat normal and protected life. The story of Shirley Wilder is a sad one once you find out what kind of life she had to live when she was a young girl. Having no mother and rejected by her father she has become a troubled girl.
In Mark Cox’s “Joyland”, Cox uses juxtaposition and symbolism to underline how infidelity exposes the complex relationship between the fantasy and reality of what it means to maintain a healthy marriage. The narrator of the poem is observing the behaviors and setting of a man and his wife while on a mini-golf course, shortly after the man cheated on his wife. In the first stanza of “Joyland,” the narrator introduces the mini-golf course that the man and his wife are playing at: “Here, between teen lovers spooning each other ice cream, / and the press of a five-putting family of four”(1-2). Cox uses imagery and juxtaposition to highlight the contrast between the fantasy and reality of loving another person. The narrator describes “teen lovers”
of himself as an unwanted old bachelor and accordingly sets out to remedy the problem. The fact that he does not love Carol, whom he knows ?less than three weeks,? does not faze him in the least. Following the opinion of the 1950s, Carol, in his mind, becomes his ?competent housemaid? who will perhaps collect ?old pottery? and bake him ?little casserole dishes.? But Carol doesn?t mind. To be deemed ?complete? in the eyes of society in the decorum of marriage is enough for both individuals. In the characterization of Carol and Howard, who use each other?s presence as shields against judgment by a critical society, Gallant creates an amusing portrait of marriage as something that makes ?sense? with ?no reason?to fail? as long as both parties have ?a common interest? and ?[s]imilar economic backgrounds.?
The Stage Manager maintains a somber tone throughout the play that deeply contrasts with the joy perpetually exuded by the other characters. Wilder emphasizes this contrast particularly during the wedding, in which the Stage Manager offsets the “radiant” atmosphere and digresses: “The cottage, the go-cart, the Sunday-afternoon drives in the Ford, The first rheumatism, the grandchildren, the second rheumatism, the deathbed, the reading of the will.” In this passage the Stage Manager describes life as a list of events, thereby expressing his apathy for it. Wilder, therefore, conveys the consequences of recognizing life’s finality. The finality of existence consumes the Stage Manager and causes him to disengage from his surroundings which prevents him from seeing the meaning and importance in a particular moment. His aversion to life is evident when he states, “Once in a thousand times it's interesting.” The Stage Manager merely views life as transient, and despite having the capacity to appreciate it, he is unable to because he only sees value in things that have longevity. Hence, why he is so adamant about putting a copy of the play in the time capsule he mentions because it will be preserved and “the people a thousand years from now’ll know a few simple facts about
Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” examine the complex relationship between a husband and wife. The two works take two different approaches to convey the same message: Marriage is not a fairytale, it requires sacrifice and unselfish behavior in order to work. Relationships are difficult to begin and harder to maintain. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and Aylmer and Georgiana are two relationships that shatter the surreal perception of marriage and expose readers to the raw truth, marriage is not a fairytale.
Love and change are all part of life. But sometimes we humans take life for granted. We don't appreciate everything we have until it is gone. In “Our town” Thornton wilder used the theme to spread his message of how we should cherish every moment of life. Thornton wilder wanted his audience to live life to the fullest while is using characterization at the same time to help develop his theme and show how as time goes by we change in some way.
Wilder shows throughout the book that relationships that are successful equal lots of happiness in the long run. At George and Emily's’ wedding, they both said that the wanted to spend the rest of time with each other and to build a good family. George says “I’ll do my best to love and help you Emily” and Emily later says “I just want someone to love me and to love them” (Wilder 80). At this moment, in each of their lives, they share with each other that there is no one they want to be with than each other. They both value each other in so many special ways.This claim relates to the thesis in many ways. The one I am focusing on is that the quote explains Emily and George both love each other and want a loving family. With a loving and supportive family
In many of the stage managers addresses spoken directly to the audience, he offers observations about the nature of existence. One of those observations is that a life time passes by in a flash with key events punctuating life. At George and Emily’s wedding, he sums up the cycle of life that every young couple embarking on a life together will experience. This repetition of falling in love, marrying, and beginning a new family is timeless and universal, existing from ancient times to the twenty first century.
Throughout time, many things have changed dramatically. Technology, food, culture, and the quality of life are just a few examples of how our life has been altered. However, there is one thing that has not changed much: the view of human life and existence. Humans want and have the need to be unique, yet this is just an implausible figment of the imagination. Life unveils itself for everyone in the same way when it comes to love, death, and other worldly things.
In Our Town, by Thornton Wilder, he invites his readers to consider the positive and negative qualities of life. He is able to convey his views and opinions on the human condition through his use of love and marriage. Wilder’s examination of self-conflict in the decision to marry suggests a pessimistic view on the human experience. Through the self-conflict of Emily and George, Wilder is able to confirm how marriage can be frightening and troubling.
What literary criticism lens is most effective in creating meaning and entertainment throughout Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream? The play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, has several characters involved in a love triangle. Many scenes in the story involves power being used or taken away and use of money. Throughout the play, readers and viewers experiences Hermia’s power is being taken away by her father, Eugues,which is her kindred, not letting her marry the man she truly loves,Lysander. Later throughout the story, Robin, character from the story contains a enthrall love juice that has power and makes another character from the story, Titania, fall in love with a donkey.The marxist literary criticism lens is the most effective in creating meaning and entertaining readers and viewers in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen introduces the major thematic concept of marriage and financial wealth. Throughout the novel, Austen depicts various relationships that exhibit the two recurring themes. Set during the regency period, the perception of marriage revolves around a universal truth. Austen claims that a single man “must be in want of a wife.” Hence, the social stature and wealth of men were of principal importance for women. Austen, however, hints that the opposite may prove more exact: a single woman, under the social limitations, is in want of a husband. Through this speculation, Austen acknowledges that the economic pressure of social acceptance serves as a foundation for a proper marriage.
The main idea for an interpretation of a deeper meaning of the story, The Garden Party by Mansfield, is relating life, and death to be held hand-in-hand. In other words, one day I can live happy and think I can be eternal but death is always near. I don’t usually like to think about death because it can be something scary and overwhelming. Although in this story, I can see that Mrs. Sheridan is a woman from a high-class society. A family that is concerned about with what other people think and the fact of just having a blast every time they are able to. When Mrs. Sheridan heard about the death of Mr. Scott she felt pity for a moment, but continued her party arrangements. In contrast, her daughter, Laura, seemed more humane because when her mother thought about giving the party’s leftovers to her neighbors, she felt that it was rude. Therefore, I can see that she feels empathy with the death of Mr. Scott.
The man chose a partner for his daughter by himself, and his censoriousness made her an old spinster, as “she got to be thirty and was still single” (Faulkner 4). The situation could change after the father’s death, but it did not happen because of combination of social factors. People believed they should feel pity for a woman, who has never been married in her thirties. This approach for commiseration deprived Emily from last opportunities to find a partner among citizens. The woman, who was behaved as a member of the high society, could not to stomach people’s readiness for the “joyous pity”. Citizens believed Grierson should become someone’s wife, like every woman, and destroyed her chances for marriage at the same