Our Town Gender Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Act.Line). Every time a character talks counts as one line, even if what they say turns into a long monologue.

Quote #4

Well, you see, - on her wedding morning a girl’s head’s apt to be full of…clothes and one thing and another. Don’t you think that’s probably it?…A girl’s apt to be a mite nervous on her wedding day. (II.136, 138)

Mr. Webb speculates about his daughter’s thoughts, chalking her nerves up to superficial worries.

Quote #5

Every man that’s ever lived has felt that way about it, George; but it hasn’t been any use. It’s the womenfolk who’ve built up weddings, my boy. For a while now the women have it all their own. A man looks pretty small at a wedding, George. All those good women standing shoulder to shoulder making sure that the knot’s tied in a mighty public way. (II.141)

Mr. Webb argues that weddings are for female benefit.

Quote #6

Charles, he said, Charles, start out early showing who’s boss, he said. Best thing to do is to give an order, even if it don’t make sense; just so she’ll learn to obey. And he said: if anything about your wife irritates you – her conversation, or anything – just get up and leave the house. That’ll make it clear to her, he said. And, oh, yes! he said never, never let your wife know how much money you have, never. (II.150)

Different men have different thoughts on gender roles.