Previous
Act 1: A Scarf
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Laramie Project, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Homophobia, Tolerance, and Acceptance
Violence, Punishment, and Justice
Media and Community
Religion, Morality, and Prejudice
Theater and Representation
Summary
Analysis
This moment consists of a phone call between Amanda Gronich and the wife of the Baptist Minister. Amanda introduces herself over the phone and explains her reason for calling. She talks about how she attended the Reverend’s service on Sunday and hopes to talk to the Reverend about his thoughts on Matthew Shepard. The minister’s wife tells Amanda that the minister will probably not want to talk to her, and explains that he has “very Biblical views” on homosexuality. The minister does not encourage violence, according to the minister’s wife, but also “doesn’t condone that kind of lifestyle.” The minister’s wife also mentions how “terrible” the media presence in Laramie has been. Amanda sympathizes with the minister’s wife’s comments about the media. The minister’s wife tells Amanda to call back at nine and Amanda thanks her.
In Amanda’s conversation with the Baptist Minister’s wife, it becomes clear that the Baptist Minister is equivocating about his views on Matthew’s murder. The minister’s wife’s comments that he has “very Biblical views” on homosexuality suggests that the Bible is inherently anti-homosexuality, despite the fact that the Bible is read in many different ways, including as pro-LGBT. The minister’s wife also talks about the difficulty they have had with the media, suggesting that they have been treated unfairly (and notably, both the Minister and his wife ask for their names not to be used in the play).
Themes
