English 11: Drama & Writing / Our Town

Just like short stories and novels, dramas have a definite plot.

Once a play reaches its __________, the drama-just like in a story-has falling action that leads to the resolution of the conflicts and resolution of the story.

In what specific ways are theatrical dramas similar to novels or short stories?

What is the most significant difference between novels/short stories and dramas?

Whereas most literature genres simply require a single reader, theatrical dramas require an ______________ to actually see and fully appreciate the actual performance.

In drama, actors and actresses are chosen to portray specific ______________ in the storyline.

In a play, the person who is in charge of the lights, cameras, curtains, stage, and scenery for a play is known as the ___________________.

The author of a theatrical drama, or play, is known as a ___________________.

Set

Stage

In Our Town, the ________________ serves his typical role but also has a more involved role within the drama by engaging with the audience and offering special insight throughout the play.

Like a book, the sections of a play are divided into chapters.

In a play, the larger division of the plot, or storyline, is broken down into _____, while those can then be broken down into even smaller units called ________.

How many sections, or acts, does Our Town have?

An uninterrupted speech, given by a single speaker, during which he/she is addressing both the audience and the cast.

In a _______________, a speech is given by a single character, during which he/she reveals some inner thoughts or feelings.

In Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar, Marc Antony’s famous speech, “Friends, Romans, Countrymen – lend me your ears,” is a popular example of what type of character speech?

When a character makes a remark that only the audience can hear, not the other characters, this is considered _____________________.

Hamlet’s famous speech-“To be or not to be-that is the question.”-is considered to be which type of character speech?

In the play Our Town, who utilizes the element of an aside or monologue to interact with the audience, helping to lead them through the play?

Character speeches, such as asides, monologues, and soliloquies are limited to which literary genres?

In this type of play, the content is typically heavy and focuses on human suffering.

In a ____________ play, the characters are typically one-dimensional, including a hero, heroine, and villain.

A type of drama that is typically light in tone and overall topic and will typically end with a happy ending. The intent of the play is to make the audience laugh or have an enjoyable experience.

The play Our Town fits into which type, or style, or theatrical play?

The play Our Town became a type of “game changer” in the literary genre of theatrical plays when it did not reflect the characteristics of typical, _____________________ dramas

According to plagiarism.org, what is wrong with calling plagiarism “copying” or “borrowing”?

Although there are often consequences for plagiarism, it is not actually a crime.

According to plagiarism.org, which of the following is considered plagiarism?

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite your sources.

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“Information that is readily available from a number of sources or so well-known that its sources do not have to be cited.”

“A short, formal indication of the source of information or quoted material.”

When in doubt…

What does the MLA do?

What is a common error in formatting the Works Cited page?

Where do I find the “hanging indent” option?

In what order do the works go on the page?

Which of the following are mistakes often made by people completing a Works Cited page?

What type of family did Thornton Wilder have?

Very active in the literary and writing scene, Thornton’s parents were both writers. His mother was a , and his father a well-known .

During his high school years, Thornton Wilder showed a specific interest in ________________.

A student at Yale, Thornton Wilder’s very first _______________ was published in the Yale Literary Magazine.

As a young man, Thornton divided his professional time between writing and ________________.

In 1926, at the age of 29, Wilder published his very first novel ___________________.

Considered to be one of the “greats” in American literature, Thornton Wilder won three _____________________.

As a young playwright, Thornton Wilder worked for Broadway translating English plays but then burst to personal fame with his own play ___________________.

Identify the reasons that Our Town was considered to be a “breakthrough,” or revolutionary play, for its time.

Due to his work and association with this famous musical, Thornton Wilder achieved international fame.

In looking at the history of drama in America, dramas were not widely accepted during the earliest colonial years for what reasons?

Which of the following plays are considered to be among the top ten plays in all of American literature?

Considered to be one of the “greats” in American literature, Our Town author Thornton Wilder won three _____________________.

You only use in-text citations for direct quotes.

You only use quotation marks around direct quotes.

The majority of the citations in your paper should be indirect citations.

Explain why every citation (direct and indirect) must have a lead-in.

Which of the following would you not likely find in a lead-in?

The Best Organization suggests, “You really do need to know how to make proper in-text citations.” (The Best Organization 12)

The Best Organization suggests that everyone should know how to do in-text citations (The Best Organization 12).

Under what circumstances do you put the end punctuation inside the quotation marks?

What goes in a standard in-text citation?

If the author’s last name is not available, what goes in the parenthetical citation?

What is the exception to putting the author, organization, or title in the parenthetical citation?

In literature, what is the main purpose of a foreword?

The foreword to a text is written by the author.

Prior to reading a novel, play, or book of any kind, what are three ways you can preview the text?

According to Donald Margulies, Our Town author Thornton Wilder is remembered as a typical school-master preaching _______ values to a _________ world.

According to Margulies, Our Town can be described as which of the following?

What aspects of the play Our Town made it “startlingly modern” for its debut in 1937?

Which character, through his drunken, self-destructive methods, does Margulies suggest represents a society that failed one of its own, a people who were “steeped in denial,” so never acknowledged a problem and never offered help.

Margulies claims that the greatness and perfection of the play starts with its _________________.

Based on the content of the play and the topics of life that are covered within the play, the play best suited which times?

From the foreword in Our Town, we learn that life and death, past and present, all overlap within the play. To offer an example of this, Margulies says the audience is introduced to these two characters when suddenly the stage manager then informs the audience of their deaths.

Due to the great death and destruction the world has seen since World War 1, and especially even in today’s world, Margulies suggests that the death of this character is perhaps more poignant and felt even more strongly today than it was at the original time of publication.

By reading in the foreword about the character of Emily and her heartfelt pleas to her father, the reader becomes aware of what topics within Our Town?

Based on the foreword, the posthumous visit of which character provides the emotional climax to the play and offers what Margulies feels to be one of the most “immortal moments in all of American Drama”?

As you prepare to read the play Our Town, what type of discovery does Margulies say awaits you, the reader?

Based on Act 1 of Our Town, what are the only items on stage?

As the Stage Manager introduces the play, he says the audience will meet Miss A, Miss B… Miss E, and Mr. F, Mr. G, etc.

Why would he name characters in this way? Choose the best answer.

What year is it when the play Our Town begins?

During the setting of the story in Act 1 of Our Town, what mode of transportation is used?

From within the first part of Act 1, identify at least three examples of overlapping time, present with the future.

Based on your knowledge of Wilder from your previous lesson and the foreword, explain the significance of this section of the play.

“Two arches trellises, covered with vines and flowers, are pushed out.

There’s some scenery for those who think they have to have scenery.”

This almost seems to be a sarcastic jab. What is Wilder mocking here? Why is this quote significant?

Explain your answer in complete sentences.

Based on the description of the town cemetery, we learn that the town comprises ______________.

Doc Gibbs

Mr. Webb

Mrs. Gibbs

Mrs. Webb

Howie Newsome

According to Joe Crowell, a woman could not possibly be both a teacher and a _______________.

Look at the paragraph concerning Joe Crowell, in which the stage manager brings up the personal history of Joe and his ill-fated future. Based on some of that paragraph and especially this one quotation-“All that education for nothing”-what do you think is Wilder’s view on war? What about his view on education?

Answer both parts of this (Wilder’s views on war and education) in complete sentences.

According to Mrs. Gibbs, what is George’s favorite sport and is occupying all of his time?

What are the ages of the Gibbs and Webb children?

At the breakfast table, there is a small and brief conflict between George and his mother, but it is significant nonetheless because it is something most teens can relate to with regard to their parents. What did George bicker with his mother about?

What does Rebecca say is the one item she loves most in the world? Again, this is a developing topic.

Based on Act 1 of Our Town, what are the only items on stage?

In the town of Grover’s Corners, there are definite distinctions between male and female roles. In one example of this, we are told that the _____ get to vote, and the ________ vote indirectly.

According to Mr. Webb, Grover’s Corners is a very ____________________ town.

One of the ways in which Thornton Wilder challenged the ways of traditional drama and theater experiences of the time was to involve people placed in the audience directly with the play.
What are three examples of this?

As George is speaking to Emily, we come to learn that George wants to be a _____________.

George and Emily hatch a plan to create a telegraph system between their two windows so that ___.

As Emily is talking to her mother, Mrs. Webb, we see this topic of self worth, or self esteem, in young people develop, which is a common concern for all youth. It’s something readers can relate to.
Emily asks her mother, “Am I __________________?”

About two-thirds into Act 1, the Stage Manager gives a rather lengthy speech. This is known as a/an _________________.

According the to Stage Manager, what does he want to do with the play?

The Stage Manager states that the town wants to have special items for people to see and read thousands of years from now. What have they included so far for people to dig up later?

The day’s running down like a tired clock.

According to Mrs. Soames, what is “the worst scandal that ever was in this town!”?

What is the overall consensus among the characters about what do to about Simon Stimson?

Which of the following items are on stage at the start of Act II, helping to create the very minimal and basic set?

How many years have passed between Act 1 and Act II?

According to the Stage Manager, what do the teens in Grover’s Corners do almost immediately after high school?

As Act II begins with pouring rain, there is this sense of the past being wiped away, of freshness, and of new starts. This is an example of what literary element?

Si Crowell is upset that George is giving up baseball for a thing like ______________.

As Dr. Gibbs comes down to breakfast, he states,

Well, Ma, the day has come. You’re losin’ one of your chicks.

This is an example of what literary element?

While talking to Mrs. Gibbs, Dr. Gibbs states,

The groom’s up shaving himself-only there’s ain’t an awful lot to shave.

This is a strong reminder of what important detail to the story?

According to Dr. Gibbs, there is nothing “so terrifying in the world as a ______________.”

As Emily and George are walking together after school, we learn that Emily has been acting differently towards George because ___.

As Emily and George continue their walk, they discuss the difficulties of being _____________, and Emily then regrets all that she had said about George.

As they are walking, George and Emily go into a place that has been set up by the stage manager with two chairs, a board, and two stools. What place does this “set” create? Where did George and Emily go?

According to George, what are he and Emily celebrating with their strawberry ice cream sodas?

While Emily and George are talking and having their ice cream sodas, what very important decision does George make concerning his own future plans?

The stage manager gives an insightful monologue on weddings in Grover’s Corners, where he reveals that most weddings in the town are __________ and __________.

As the stage manager begins the wedding portion of Act II, he indicates that the play now changes in tone to be much more __________________.

In Act II, as George and Emily conclude their very important conversation together, George says,

I’m ready.

On the surface, it is clear that George is ready to leave the drugstore. But on a deeper, more meaningful level, what is George really ready for?

Just prior to the wedding in Act II, both George and Emily express some very emotional thoughts to their respective parents. Overall, George and Emily are both feeling very ________ prior to the wedding.

According to the Stage Manager, the first act was called “Daily Life,” and the second act is called ___.

Much to the dismay of some of his friends, what is George willing to give up in order to marry Emily?

At the start of Act III, the stagehands set out chairs to represent __________________.

Look at the following quote from the stage directions. Choose the best definition for the word “lugubriousness.”

[They] do not turn their heads or their eyes to right or left, but they sit in a quiet without stiffness. When they speak their tone is matter-of-fact, without sentimentality and, above all, without lugubriousness.

As we read Our Town, we continue to see this idea on the passage of time. Between Act II and Act III, how many years have passed?

In similar fashion to Acts I and II, the Stage Manager starts Act III with a monologue. He is catching us up on all that has happened in the town of Grover’s Corners. Which of the following are some of the “big changes” that he says have taken place in the town?

The setting for Act III is

“up on a windy hilltop-lots of sky, lots of clouds-often lots of sun and moon and stars.”

Where does Act III take place?

At the start of Act III, which characters are filling the chairs on the windy hilltop?

In describing the setting of the windy hilltop in Act III, the Stage Manager states,

“…an awful lot of sorrow has sort of quieted down up here.”

This is an example of what literary element?

Fill in the following blank to correctly finish the Stage Manager’s statement:

There’s something way down deep that’s ______________________ about every human being.

What does Simon Stimson have on his tombstone?

In Act III, we are met with the sad realization of the fact that Emily will be joining those who are sitting in the chairs atop the hilltop. How did Emily die?

As Mrs. Soames learns that Emily will be joining them “in the chairs,” she expresses delightful memories of Emily. What does she so fondly remember about Emily?

As Emily pleads to go back in time and watch a day in her life, she goes back to which day?

Realizing that George noticed her and loved her long before she realized, what does Emily “see” George give her for her birthday?

When Emily asks the Stage Manager, “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?-every, every minute?”

In Act III, which hurt and bitter character makes the statements below? That’s what is was to be alive. To move about in a cloud of ignorance; to go up and down trampling on the feeling of those…of those about you. To spend and waste time as though you had a million years. To be always at the mercy of one self-centered passion, or another.

Just prior to the Stage Manager’s final monologue, the stage directions say,

In the distance a clock is heard striking the hour very faintly.

As this is a nod to the underlying topics and themes of the play, the ticking clock is an example of what literary element at work, serving to heighten the power of the moment?

Which character shares the following quote in Act III?

There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.

The following, taken from Act III, describes which character? She is wearing a white dress. Her hair is down her back and tied by a white ribbon like a little girl.

Which of the following define and explain PRIOR KNOWLEDGE?

Which of the following are examples of questions that you can ask yourself as part of the questioning strategy for active reading?

Which of the following are effective ways to actively engage in reading?

Being able to clearly and easily _____________ a text after reading it shows a good level of comprehension.

If you need to review a text for a second time to gain maximum understanding, you could do what?

If you encounter a distinct change in seasons within a text, this is most likely _______________.

“God’s love is an everlasting and selfless love.”

This can be a good example of theme because ___.

“The rainbow danced across the sky, spreading cheer to the desolate town below”

This description of the rainbow is a great example of ___.

If someone were reading a short story and she explained that the story was about LOVE, she would be sharing the story’s _________.

If a main character has been made perfectly happy by a joyous wedding day, what color might an author use to symbolize the character’s mood? (Choose the best answer.)

Of the three literary elements listed below, which is the only element that must be present in nearly all writing?

In the play Our Town, the author uses rain at the start of Act II to signal a fresh start, or a fresh beginning. This is an example of what literary element?

Nature is often referred to as “she” and is given human characteristics in American literature. This is a continual example of _________________.

In writing, this phrase refers to the overall vocabulary of the written work. In fact, this needs to be appropriate not only for grade level but also for the topic.

A maturely-written paper will utilize several different types of sentences to achieve a higher level of _______________.

In order to attain better overall word choice, which of the following words is no longer allowed to be used in your writing?

Making sure to use words that reflect a thoughtful selection and choosing the most effective word, or words, to communicate what you are trying to say are parts of having a mature ___________.

Which of the following are ways to improve sentence variety?

The Purdue Online Writing Lab states: “If too many sentences start with the same word, especially The, It, This, or I, prose can grow tedious for readers, so changing opening words and phrases can be refreshing.”

When writing a paper, the writer should _______________ take time to proofread and edit before the final submission.

The following phrases are NOT acceptable for more mature writing as they are considered to be types of what?

I’m going to tell you about….
This paper is going to be about…
In this paper you will read about…

________________ is considered the most basic area to proofread and edit for, and it should be done for every written work.

_________ are used to separate two complete sentences that are closely related. __________, however, are used to separate phrases. They can also set off introductory words or phrases in sentences.

Which of the following should ALWAYS be documented in any paper or essay that you write?

The theme of a story or poem is a stated through a _______________.

Which of the following are characteristic of theme?

It is possible for a literary text to have more than one topic and more than one theme.

We arrive at the ___________ of a literary work when we know the truth, or understanding, that the author is conveying about a particular __________.

If someone were to ask you what a text was about and you answered “God’s love is unconditional and extends to even the most ordinary of people,” you would have conveyed to them the overall ______________ of the story.

If someone were to read a fictional text and determine that the story is about “Marriage,” he/she would be naming the _________.

Oftentimes, an author does not come right out and deliberately state the theme of a text. Therefore, it must be implied, or inferred, using cues from the text itself.

The reader can find theme by looking at all of the following EXCEPT which of the following?

When looking at theme in a literary text, _____________ in literature move the plot forward, give insight into a character’s actions, and also give a better understanding of how the character thinks and feels.

At the end of the text, asking yourself, “What did the character learn?” or “How did the character change, and why?” are ways of looking for theme through what aspect?

Actions or events in a story can also present opportunities for the characters to face ethical or moral decisions. Using these actions or key events to imply theme is the ability to identify theme through __________.

Put the following early authors in the correct order in which they arrived in the New World.

Which of these settlers came to the New World with primarily political and economic motives, not religious motives?

Smith’s writings about the New World were important for which of the following reasons?

The prevailing themes in Puritan writings are foundational to America in all of these ways EXCEPT ___.

John Winthrop is credited for which famous literary contribution?

As one of the earliest writers from the New World, John Smith sent articles back to England to convince potential new settlers of the benefits of coming to America. This type of writing is known as _______________.

After nearly 10 weeks at sea, what man served as a main figure in the development of the Mayflower Compact and leadership of the new colony?

In early Puritan literature, which of the following were the four most common genres?

The Mayflower Compact was significant as the first piece of written legislation in the New World and also because it was written by ____.

The ideology of self-government behind the Mayflower Compact would serve as a model for which two future American political documents?

Known as The Great Migration, 1630-1640 were the years in which thousands of _____________ came to the New World. These people were much more educated and, with their arrival, the amount of written texts from the New World greatly increased.

Which two topics served as the premise for the Puritan writings that dominated this literary era of the mid-1600s?

A primary theme within Puritan literature was the strong belief that the Puritans had come to the New World as a part of _____.

Of the prevalent genres in the Age of Faith, which genre revealed the most information about everyday events and life of early Americans?

Jonathan Edwards

Roger Williams

Anne Bradstreet

Which genre from the Age of Faith would have the greatest and most immediate impact on the personal discipline and commitment of the colonists?

As an author during the Age of Faith, Anne’s Bradstreet’s writings often reflected her devout Puritan beliefs and, in her writings about suffering, she suggested that suffering was actually part of _____.

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

“Meditations” &”Upon a Spider Catching a Fly”

“Verses Upon the Burning of Our House”

Whose death is said to have ended the Age of Faith, helping to then usher in the Age of Reason?

The Age of Reason ushered in the religious philosophy of __________________, which emphasized individual faith over organized religion but denied that God is active in daily life.

The letters between John and Abigail Adams were a reflection of their marriage, their lives, and the political happenings of the era, and they are written from a very ___________ perspective during the Age of Faith.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most significant literary figures from the Age of Reason, if not THE most influential. Three of Benjamin Franklin’s most significant literary contributions include ___.

The historical document, the Declaration of Independence, was written during the Age of Reason as a result of conflict with the mother nation of England. Match the correct person to the way in which each aided in the composition of The Declaration of Independence:

Thomas Paine, known as the father of the Revolutionary War, introduced the power of the nonfiction propaganda piece known as the _______________.

During the Age of Reason, Thomas Paine’s pamphlets were a powerful form of _____________________ that stirred the people of the United States to support the Revolutionary War.

Abigail Adams

Thomas Paine

Benjamin Franklin

Thomas Jefferson

James Madison

Romanticism emphasized which of the following?

Which genre was not a primary form of literature published in the era of Romanticism?

The Romantic appreciation for nature was more ___.

The Romantic period in literature came as a direct result of what?

All of these historical events were contemporary influences in Romanticism EXCEPT which event?

Which of the following words best characterize the literature associated with the Romantic period?

The philosophies and literature of the Romantic era had a strong belief in the power of the _________________ man.

The Romantic period brought the emergence of what style of literature that looked at the darker side of life, people, and even depression?

Washington Irving

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Edgar Allan Poe

Herman Melville

Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the most well-known authors from the Romantic period, began to denounce materialism, spoke about the power of the individual, and challenged traditional thought and social institutions. His passion and leadership in this way of thinking earned him the title of _____________________.

Transcendentalist authors believed that the ____________ was in his best state of mind and being when reliant upon himself only and acting independently.

As an outgrowth of the Romantic period, _________________ was an overall protest against the culture and collective society of the era and was instead focused on the innate goodness of the individual and nature.

This author from the Romantic period was a leader in the Abolitionist movement and engaged Americans in the Abolitionist debate with the publication of his own autobiography, in which he documented his own life as a slave.

The Realism literary movement was in direct response to the ______________________ era.

Literature of the Realism era was written with a very distinct language that could be described as all of the following EXCEPT which?

Authors of Realism literature chose to write about both the good and bad aspects of everyday life

During the Realist era, what were some of the challenges facing the United States?

During the Realism era, the written works represented REAL life, and so more people connected with what was being written. Alongside that, the growth in public literacy was significant, but there was a surge of literacy among which specific group?

During Realism, authors who specialized in writing literature that specifically represented a certain area of the country were known as ______________________.

Samuel Langhorn Clemens/Mark Twain

William Dean Howells

William Sydney Porter/O. Henry

Hamlin Garland

Naturalism-a movement within the Realism era-has its basic foundations in the theories of ________________.

In Naturalist literature, there is a sense that the plot, conflicts, and the characters are shaped by the ____________.

Jack London

Stephen Crane

Frank Norris

_________________________ was an era from 1914-1945 that forever changed the music, art, and literature in the United States.

Which of the following is considered the turning point in America’s history that caused the emergence of Modernism?

The Harlem Renaissance brought the rise of jazz and literature from minorities and was led by whom?

Which of the following were characteristic of Modern era literature?

During the Modern era, literature was developed in such a way that it forced the ____________ to uncover the deeper meaning of a text and question the real truth of a work or character.

Identify the NEW voices that appeared in American literature during the Modern era.

Which of the following describes the characteristics of Modern era literature?

Ezra Pound, Robert Frost, and T.S Elliott are all considered to be key ________________ of the Modern era.

Match the correct Modern era author to his work of literature:

The following authors were all key literary figures during the Modern era. Match the author to his correct literary work.

The Harlem Renaissance was a part of the Modern movement in which there was a large emergence in music, literature, and art from what group?

Through the literature of the Harlem Renaissance, black authors attacked the _________________ that had been placed on black Americans and their culture.

All of the following authors are considered to be literary leaders from the Harlem Renaissance. Match the following author to the correct literary work.

Based on the early introduction of legend of the Headless Horseman, we can infer that one of the conflicts within the story will most likely be ___.

The shocking, unexpected conclusion of the short story “The Lottery,” in which the “winner” actually gets death by stoning, is a prime example of ___.

Consider the short story “The Most Dangerous Game.” In a conversation between General Zaroff and Rainsford, Zaroff claims,

“I have electricity. We try to be civilized here.”

Based on the context of the quote, where Zaroff has just explained to Rainsford that he captures and hunts humans, identify the type of irony presented here.

Match the style of poetry to its correct definition.