Our Town Love Quotes

It’s like what one of those Middle West poets said: You’ve got to love life to have life, and you’ve got to have life to love life…It’s what they call a vicious circle (II.26).

Yes…people are meant to go through life two by two. ‘Tain’t natural to be lonesome (II.85).

I…I’m glad you said it, Emily. I never thought that such a thing was happening to me. I guess it’s hard for a fella not to have faults creep into his character (II.203).

I just can’t sleep yet, Papa. The moonlight’s so won-derful. And the smell of Mrs. Gibbs’ heliotrope. Can you smell it? (I.435)

Nature’s been pushing and contriving in other ways, too: a number of young people fell in love and got married. (II.9)

I don’t see how he could give up a thing like that just to get married. (II.37)

Whistling and singing, like he’s glad to leave us. – Every now and then he says "I do" to the mirror, but it don’t sound convincing to me. (II.68)

And how do you think I felt! – Frank, weddings are perfectly awful things. Farces, that’s what they are! (II.73)

You know how it is: you’re twenty-one or twenty-two and you make some decisions; then whisssh! you’re seventy: you’ve been a lawyer for fifty years, and that white-haired lady at your side has eaten over fifty thousand meals with you. (II.170)

And particularly the days when you were first in love; when you were like a person sleepwalking, and you didn’t quite see the street you were in, and didn’t quite hear everything that was said to you. You’re just a little bit crazy. Will you remember that, please? (II.174-5)

Why, you say you were watching me when I did everything…I was doing the same about you all the time. Why, sure, -- I always thought about you as one of the chief people I thought about. I always made sure where you were sitting on the bleachers, and who you were with, and for three days now I’ve been trying to walk home with you; but something’s always got in the way. Yesterday I was standing over against the wall waiting for you, and you walked home with Miss Corcoran. (II.254)

Listen, Emily, I’m going to tell you why I’m not going to Agriculture School. I think that once you’ve found a person that you’re very fond of…I mean a person who’s fond of you, too, and likes you enough to be interested in your character…Well, I think that’s just as important as college is, and even more so. That’s what I think. (II.256)

EMILY: Well, if you love me, help me. All I want is someone to love me. GEORGE: I will, Emily. Emily, I’ll try. EMILY: And I mean for ever. Do you hear? For ever and ever. (II.358-60)

But I won’t live over a sad day. I’ll choose a happy one – I’ll choose the day I first knew that I loved George. Why should that be painful? THEY are silent. Her question turns to the stage manager. (III.144-5)

MRS. WEBB: Facing the audience, over her stove. But birthday or no birthday, I want you to eat your breakfast good and slow. I want you to grow up and be a good strong girl. That in the blue paper is from your Aunt Carrie; and I reckon you can guess who brought the post-card album. I found it on the doorstep when I brought in the milk – George Gibbs…must have come over in the cold pretty early…right nice of him. (III.229-30)

Wally has something for you, too. He made it at manual-training class and he’s very proud of it. Be sure you make a big fuss about it. – Your father has a surprise for you, too; don’t know what it is myself. Sh – here he comes. (III.241)