Our Town Mrs. Webb Is Mrs. Gib :: essays research papers

&8220Mrs. Gibbs is Mrs. Webb is Mrs. GibbsIn Thorton unsubdued&8217s classic play about life in a small town, no other two characters cope so much in common with one some other as Mrs. Gibbs and Mrs. Webb do. Their purpose in the story, on a figurative level, is to represent the monolithic idea of a small town. Emily Post, an American etiquette authority of the early 1900&8217s, said, &8220To do exactly as your neighbors do is the only sensible rule.Without a doubt, any intelligent proofreader of this play can see the obvious similarities between Mrs. Webb and Mrs. Gibbs. On a purely literal level, the two seem to run parallel to one another. For example, their morning time routine is abnormally similar, they both attend choir practice, they both enjoy the town gossip, and the basic makeup of their families are the same.Looking deeper into the similarities of the two women on a figurative level, only demonstrates that both women can be considered one person. Not only do they a ct alike, but they think alike as well. Thorton Wilder&8217s hire of two women who are virtually the same serves as an example of how the woman in Grover&8217s Corners act. In fact, Wilder&8217s use of these two women enforces the small town mentality, in which everyone should live by a set standard. These two women are pieces of the puzzle that is Grover&8217s Corners. They represent the &8220norm who is just another person who has lost his or her individuality. The two women are not meant to remain in the mind of the reader because of their performance. Oddly enough, their &8220claim to fame comes because of their lack of individuality. Therefore their bushel purpose in the story is to provide the reader with a consensus of what Grover&8217s Corners is really about.