Our Town Life, Consciousness, and Existence 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 #10

EMILY: Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? – every, every minute? STAGE MANAGER: No. (III.251-2)

People do not appreciate life while they are alive.

Quote #11

There are the stars – doing their old, old crisscross journeys in the sky. Scholars haven’t settled the matter yet, but they seem to think there are no living beings up there. Just chalk…or fire. Only this one is straining away, straining away all the time to make something of itself. The strain’s so bad that every sixteen hours everybody lies down and gets a rest. (III.285)

Human beings are the only beings in the universe who strive toward some end goal. This striving is so exhausting that sleep is essential.