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¶ … Towns, Alike in Dignity
Modern theatrical literature has become increasingly concerned with the goings-on in small towns and often largely un-notable communities. The epic plots and larger-than-life characters that occupied plays in Shakespeare's day and in much subsequent drama took place either in large metropolises, both real and imagined, or else in wildernesses of untamed forest or uninhabited isles. The small towns and hamlets that most people occupied were largely ignored, and the fanciful and more important-seeming tales of the rich and powerful and the cities that they occupied held the stage. Interestingly, as industrialization has increased urbanization so that now most people live in or near major cities, drama has begun to focus on the smaller towns that are being left behind. Perhaps this can be understood as a reaction to the loss itself, in some instances, and in others it has more to do with the continuation of these small towns in the real world as much of that world abandons them.
Thornton Wilder's Our Town, one of the earlier examples of this small-town dramatic focus, definitely falls into the former camp. The imaginary New England town of Grover's Corner that he presents to the audience is populated by individuals who hardly have a thought bigger...
Everyone in town knows everybody else, and they all share in each other's hopes, dreams, failures, and successes without any real rancor or adversity. Ultimately, Wilder depicts the simple way of life led in these towns in all of its human depths and complexities; the small town is where being human is most visible and, perhaps, most possible.
The community of Laramie, a real town and the center of a great deal of heated controversy, is also very tight-knit, with much of the town known to much of the rest (though not quite with the same level of intimacy as is seen in Grover's Corner). The Laramie Project was created by a theatre group (and officially scripted by Moises Kaufmann) based on interviews with residents of the real town of Laramie, where a young gay teenager was brutally beaten and killed and a storm of religious and social fury erupted. Though there is the same sense of shred destinies in this town as there is in Thornton Wilder's vision of a calmer small-town America, the citizens of Laramie are not content to sit by and philosophize on the simple events that they and their neighbors encounter, but rather become heavily polarized near-combatants in a…
Town/Village Development in the UK in the Medieval Ages Leicester Development in the Medieval Ages Leicester provides an excellent example of fort-settlement-town-city development through the Medieval Ages. Controlled at different stages by the Romans, Anglo Saxons, Danish and, of course, Great Britain, Leicester shows the combined contributions, primarily of the Romans, Anglo Saxons and British in its development. Realizing the importance of these contributions, the University of Leicester has undertaken various archaeological
Individuals can find some sanctuary in the diverse population of urban areas. Unlike small family groups, which enforce social restrictions much tighter, larger urban areas give their inhabitants more freedom to explore diverse paths without fear of judgment or social outcast. More subgroups within a population lead to more individual exploration with fewer worries than lesser populated areas. Works Cited Coser, Lewis a. "Georg Simmel: Biographical Information." 1977. Sociology in Switzerland.
Hawthorne: My Kinsman, Goodman Brown The United States experienced great political, social and economic change during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Breaking ties with Great Britain under the Declaration of Independence developed a unique American tradition. The major emphasis was placed on the individual, whose need to succeed would result in the best possible world for everyone concerned. In the two works "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" and "Young Goodman Brown"
Race continues to play a role in American culture and policy in the 21st century. Average incomes in the United States are demonstrably dissimilar, affirmative action policies allow campuses to use race as a determining factor when creating student bodies, and race continues to define media and culture to a significant degree. To some extent, these factors should escape our criticism, as it can't be considered desirable for all people
Lottery" and "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and Ursula LeGuin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" are both short stories that relate society's tolerance and apathy of needless pain and cruelty for the sake of superstition and tradition. Each story is set in a small village or town and centers on a yearly festive occasion. LeGuin's story takes place in the town of Omelas
King and Plato Both Martin Luther King Junior's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," and Plato's allegory of the cave discuss how to find truth and how to teach others. King's letter suggests that all people can learn. He says as long as people are willing to listen, learning can free all people unlike Plato's allegory of the cave that suggests learning possible is for only a few people in society.