Breaking The Fourth Wall In Our Town By Thornton Wilder

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The play Our Town written by Thornton Wilder is considered a modern piece of literature. One way this is considered an unique piece of literature is by breaking the fourth wall. The breaking of the fourth wall is done by the stage manager in this play. The breaking of the fourth wall is someone from the play interacting with the audience. If just one character interacts in this way is considered breaking of the fourth wall. The stage manager interacts as if he is in the play, but yet he still talks and relates somewhat to the audience. The playwright Thornton Wilder forces the audience to use their own imaginations to “see” his imaginary image of the New England town of Grover’s Corners because of the lack of props. The effect of the stage …show more content…

“You’ve gotta have love to have life, and you’ve got to have life to have love life… that’s what they call a vicious circle.” (Wilder 49). … Being as you go back in time in this act, the stage manager starts at a street cart selling things. Walking on the street to the cart that sells ice cream and things, the stage manager is the one serving it as if he is in the play once again. Feeling that the stage manager wants to have a more significant role in the play, saying this maybe he should’ve signed up to be something besides the stage manager. If he would’ve did this then most likely it would be harder for me to identify breaking the fourth wall. Now after explaining how Emily and George got to the stand selling ice cream. Hello, George. Hello, Emily.- What’ll you have?- Why, Emily Webb,- what you been crying about? The stage manager previously interacted between the scenes in act I, the stage manager is still talking to the audience while being in the play. Stage manager works with the faucets, since he is now part of this scene in the play. Talking with the characters, audience he claps his hands as a signal, saying now we’re ready to go to the wedding. in this act the stage manager thinks he has a right, since he's the minister of the wedding he can say more about it. Talking about weddings and all, the stage manager states that he has performed several in his lifetime. After performing the ceremony, the kissing part was enough. He pushes them off the stage, they lean back and shout a few more cat calls. “He looks at the audience for the first time…”pg.77 This is saying that he hasn't looked at the audience before, knowing he has and has also interacted with them this isn't very true. The stage manager doesn't necessarily take the same effect on ending the second act the same way as act I. Beginning act III, this act isn’t a very happy. Actually this act is

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