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William Armstrong Our Town Analysis

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In both Sounder by William Armstrong and Our Town by Thornton Wilder, the characters are faced with loss near the end of the story. It is never said how the surviving characters cope and continue their lives. Some of these characters include both Rebecca from Our Town, who lost her mother and sister-in-law, Mrs. Webb, who lost both of her children. In Sounder, the second-oldest child, loses his father and dog. Each character probably coped in different ways, and each had to remember that life was not over and indeed did go on. They were hard to forget. “There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

After before losing her mother and sister-in-law, Rebecca continued studying, but then married an insurance man down …show more content…

He learned to hunt as well as he could for his mother’s sake, but he had it hard without Sounder. One night he felt if he brought one of the foxes his share of supper, maybe it could be their new dog. He’d never had so many scratches. The child remained strong for his family most of the year, but he missed his father at Christmas time more than ever. He missed the way “his father would go to the back door of houses along the street and say ‘Ma’am, would you need some trimmin’s?’ and hold up the biggest spring of mistletoe left in his grain sack.” He missed how even during the toughest times, his father would scrape together some money to get them Christmas presents. He wished his big brother had not gone away to school, and he wished his father still came home for …show more content…

Webb was never the same after burying both of her children, but she certainly did not grieve for the rest of her life. She babysitted her darling grandson; taught him his shapes and letters. He was going to be a fine gentleman, just like Wally would have been. When she was not busy, she wrote down her memories of times with her children. She remembered Emily’s first word, and Wally’s first day of school. She remembered Emily asking, “Mama, am I good looking?” Sometimes she’d share her memories with George, or her husband, but kept most to herself to reminisce over. She knew her life was not over. She knew her son and daughter would not want her to sit in sorrow the rest of her life. Besides, she’d see them both again one day.

On the surface, these characters seem to be just characters in a story, but they are so much more. They teach to appreciate life while we and others have it. They teach not to take it for granted. They teach that it is important “to have spirit for living.” The memory of a lost loved one is eternal, irreplaceable. However, it is important to realize that it is okay to move on; that life is still worth living. One must cherish the memories of those who have passed

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