Question

In at least two hundred words, discuss the importance of memory in Act III of Our Town. How does the text illustrate this theme? Consider the way that memory influences the happiness of the characters, as well as how it fits into the overall theme of universality.

Answer 1

In at least two hundred words, discuss the importance of memory in Act III of Our Town. How does the text illustrate this theme? Consider the way that memory influences the happiness of the characters, as well as how it fits into the overall theme of universality.

In the play Our Town, memory is an important element. The play touches on the topic of nostalgia, and on how humans tend to look back to the past with fondness. By doing this, they forget about enjoying the present, which reinforces the cycle.

An example is the character of Emily. She is now dead, and the dead advise her to stop looking toward the world of the living. She needs to let go of her past and move on. Moreover, she has to start looking towards her future and her new "life." However, Emily is incapable of letting go of her past. She is shocked to realize how humans do not appreciated life when it is going on, but instead take too much pleasure on their memories and their past. However, Emily is doing the same by being unable to let go of her past life and learning to appreciate what her present offers her.