1. A monologue from “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder

1. Wilder, Thornton. Our Town: A Play in Three Acts. New York: Perennial, 2003. (1938) (a monologue…) From: Grades 11–CCR Text Exemplars Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and technical subjects Appendix B

2. 1. A monologue from “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder Emily: (softly, more in wonder than in grief) I can’t bear it. They’re so young and beautiful. Why did they ever have to get old? Mama, I’m here. I’m grown up. I love you all, everything.— I cant look at everything hard enough. (pause, talking to her mother who does not hear her. She speaks with mounting urgency) Oh, Mama, just look at me one minute as though you really saw me. Mama, fourteen years have gone by. I’m dead. You’re a grandmother, Mama. I married George Gibbs, Mama. Wally’s dead, too. Mama, his appendix burst on a camping trip to North Conway. We felt just terrible about it - don’t you remember? But, just for a moment now we’re all together. Mama, just for a moment we’re happy. Let’s look at one another. (pause, looking desperate because she has received no answer. She speaks in a loud voice, forcing herself to not look at her mother) I can’t. I can’t go on. It goes so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another. (she breaks down sobbing, she looks around) I didn’t realize. All that was going on in life and we never noticed. Take me back - up the hill – to my grave. But first: Wait! One more look. Good-by, Good-by, world. Good-by, Grover’s Corners? Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking? and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths? and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you. (she asks abruptly through her tears) Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? - every, every minute? (she sighs) I’m ready to go back. I should have listened to you. That’s all human beings are! Just blind people.

3. Prompts for Vocabulary In line 1, highlight the term, that describes part of a drama in which a single actor speaks alone. In line 2, highlight the word that means sadness from loss. In line 4, highlight the word that means increased importance. In line 11, highlight the word that means an urgent need, desire.

4. 1. A monologue from “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder Emily: (softly, more in wonder than in grief) I can’t bear it. They’re so young and beautiful. Why did they ever have to get old? Mama, I’m here. I’m grown up. I love you all, everything.— I cant look at everything hard enough. (pause, talking to her mother who does not hear her. She speaks with mounting urgency) Oh, Mama, just look at me one minute as though you really saw me. Mama, fourteen years have gone by. I’m dead. You’re a grandmother, Mama. I married George Gibbs, Mama. Wally’s dead, too. Mama, his appendix burst on a camping trip to North Conway. We felt just terrible about it - don’t you remember? But, just for a moment now we’re all together. Mama, just for a moment we’re happy. Let’s look at one another. (pause, looking desperate because she has received no answer. She speaks in a loud voice, forcing herself to not look at her mother) I can’t. I can’t go on. It goes so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another. (she breaks down sobbing, she looks around) I didn’t realize. All that was going on in life and we never noticed. Take me back - up the hill – to my grave. But first: Wait! One more look. Good-by, Good-by, world. Good-by, Grover’s Corners? Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking? and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths? and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you. (she asks abruptly through her tears) Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? - every, every minute? (she sighs) I’m ready to go back. I should have listened to you. That’s all human beings are! Just blind people.

5. Prompts for summary… In line 2, highlight the words describing how Emily is speaking. In line 1, highlight the word that refers to whom she is describing? In line 3, highlight the person to whom Emily is speaking. In line 6, highlight the words Emily speaks that indicate her mother does not know she is there. In lines 6, highlight how many years have passed. In line 7, highlight the sentence that explains why her mother can’t see her. In lines 7-9, highlight the events of her life that Emily explains to her mother. In lines 12, highlight what Emily says about life. In line 14, highlight what Emily says they never noticed. In lines 15-17, highlight what Emily includes in her “One more look.” In line 18, highlight the word that Emily uses to describe earth. In line 19, highlight what Emily asks if any human beings realize. In line 20-21, highlight what Emily says human being are?

6. 1. A monologue from “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder Emily: (softly, more in wonder than in grief) I can’t bear it. They’re so young and beautiful. Why did they ever have to get old? Mama, I’m here. I’m grown up. I love you all, everything.— I cant look at everything hard enough. (pause, talking to her mother who does not hear her. She speaks with mounting urgency) Oh, Mama, just look at me one minute as though you really saw me. Mama, fourteen years have gone by. I’m dead. You’re a grandmother, Mama. I married George 8. Gibbs, Mama. Wally’s dead, too. Mama, his appendix burst on a camping trip to North 9. Conway. We felt just terrible about it - don’t you remember? But, just for a moment now 10. we’re all together. Mama, just for a moment we’re happy. Let’s look at one another. 11. (pause, looking desperate because she has received no answer. She speaks in a loud voice, 12. forcing herself to not look at her mother) I can’t. I can’t go on. It goes so fast. We don’t 13. have time to look at one another. (she breaks down sobbing, she looks around) I didn’t realize. All that was going on in life and we never noticed. Take me back - up the hill – to my grave. But first: Wait! One more look. Good-by, Good-by, world. Good-by, Grover’s 16. Corners? Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking? and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths? and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you. (she asks abruptly through her tears) Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? - every, every minute? (she sighs) I’m ready to go back. I should have listened to you. That’s all human beings are! Just 21. blindpeople.

7. Prompts for author’s craft… In line 2, what word describes how the playwright wants the words spoken. A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question that is asked in order to make a point and without the expectation of a reply. Highlight the rhetorical question in line 3. In lines 5-6, highlight the sentence that exhibits “mounting urgency”. In lines 9-10, Emily tries to capture the moment. Highlight what she says to her mother. In lines 12-13, the playwright uses repetition and short sentences to emphasize Emily’s sense of futility. Highlight those sentences. In lines 13-14, highlight the sentence that tells us Emily has suddenly become aware her situation. in lines 15-17 the playwright again uses short sentences. Use your highlighter to draw brackets [ ] around these sentences. In lines 16 – 17, Wilder refers to all five senses, hear, see, taste, smell and feel. Highlight the words that illustrate those five senses. If you’ve already highlighted a word then underline it with your highlighter. Critics have said that this play, to an extent, extends the playwright’s notion about life that although our lives are meaningless in the greater context, they are all we have. In line 19, highlight Emily’s statement that reflects this thought. In lines 16 and 19/20, Wilder uses a device called “deconstruction”, essentially not following the rules of sentence construction. Highlight the punctuation he has inserted to emphasize a point in each of these sentences.

8. 1. A monologue from “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder Emily: (softly, more in wonder than in grief) I can’t bear it. They’re so young and beautiful. Why did they ever have to get old? Mama, I’m here. I’m grown up. I love you all, everything.— I cant look at everything hard enough. (pause, talking to her mother who does not hear her. She speaks with mounting urgency) Oh, Mama, just look at me one minute as though you really saw me. Mama, fourteen years have gone by. I’m dead. You’re a grandmother, Mama. I married George Gibbs, Mama. Wally’s dead, too. Mama, his appendix burst on a camping trip to North Conway. We felt just terrible about it - don’t you remember? But, just for a moment now we’re all together. Mama, just for a moment we’re happy. Let’s look at one another. (pause, looking desperate because she has received no answer. She speaks in a loud voice, forcing herself to not look at her mother) I can’t. I can’t go on. It goes so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another. (she breaks down sobbing, she looks around) I didn’t realize. All that was going on in life and we never noticed. Take me back - up the hill – to my grave. But first:[ Wait! One more look. Good-by, Good-by, world. Good-by, Grover’s Corners? Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking? and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironeddresses and hot baths? and sleeping and waking up.] Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you. (she asks abruptly through her tears) Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? - every, every minute? (she sighs) I’m ready to go back. I should have listened to you. That’s all human beings are! Just blind people.

9. Write a summary of Emily’s monologue. Write it from your point of view.

10. Multiple Choice Questions Who is Emily speaking during the monologue? a. Her husband b. Her mother c. Her father How many years have passed since Emily died? a. 20 b. 10 c. 14 Whose appendix burst on a camping trip? a. George Gibbs b. Emily c. Wally Where does Emily want to be taken back to? a. Her home b. The cemetery c. Her mother’s home What does Emily say about the earth? a. It’s okay but sad b. It’s too wonderful for people to realize c. It’s where she wants to be. Emily asks if any human being realize what? a. Life b. Death c. Family Emily says that human beings are just what? a. Thoughtless b. Stupid c. Blind

11. Discussion… How would you describe the relationship between Emily and her mother from what Emily says in this monologue? How would you describe the life Emily had before she passed away? What does Emily mean when she says, “It goes so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another.”? When Emily says, “I should have listened to you.”, who gave her the advice and what advice do you believe was given to her that she didn’t listen to? How is regret a theme of this monologue? How does Emily describe human beings? Would you agree or disagree with her? Give your reasons.