AndrewLoNigro

Bill: What's the book?
Betty: The Sounds and Fury.
Bill: Oh. Hemingway.
(Bell.)
What's the book?
Betty: The Sounds and Fury.
Bill: Oh. Faulkner.

I really enjoyed this play. It had a trial and error approach which I thought was very interesting. As we see in the above quote, Bill says the wrong thing. But, as soon as he does, he gets to start over and change his answer.

I think what Ives is trying to get across to the audience is the idea of how hard it is to say all of the right things. You just can't do that. It's hard to be perfect and make a good impression on someone that you just met, don't know anything about, and would like to start a conversation with. Most people focus so much on trying not to be rejected that they forget to just be themselves.

Also, Ives may be showing that people never stay the same. Everyone is always changing in the course of their lives. Ives just seemed to cram all of the changing that takes place in one's life time into one conversation at a table in a smalltown diner.

Honestly, I think it's everyman's dream to have a little bell there with them that could turn back time. From personal experience, I know it's not easy to go up to a stranger and talk to them. I know tI've said so many wrong things and sometimes I just wish that I could change them. But you know what, you just can't do that!