 Rodgers uses music in Carousel in subtle ways to differentiate characters and tell the audience of their emotional state . In " You 're a Queer One , Julie Jordan " , the music for the placid Carrie is characterized by even eighth @-@ note rhythms , whereas the emotionally restless Julie 's music is marked by dotted eighths and sixteenths ; this rhythm will characterize her throughout the show . When Billy whistles a snatch of the song , he selects Julie 's dotted notes rather than Carrie 's . Reflecting the close association in the music between Julie and the as @-@ yet unborn Louise , when Billy sings in " Soliloquy " of his daughter , who " gets hungry every night " , he uses Julie 's dotted rhythms . Such rhythms also characterize Julie 's Act 2 song , " What 's the Use of Wond 'rin ' " . The stable love between Enoch and Carrie is strengthened by her willingness to let Enoch not only plan his entire life , but hers as well . This is reflected in " When the Children Are Asleep " , where the two sing in close harmony , but Enoch musically interrupts his intended 's turn at the chorus with the words " Dreams that won 't be interrupted " . Rodgers biographer Geoffrey Block , in his book on the Broadway musical , points out that though Billy may strike his wife , he allows her musical themes to become a part of him and never interrupts her music . Block suggests that , as reprehensible as Billy may be for his actions , Enoch requiring Carrie to act as " the little woman " , and his having nine children with her ( more than she had found acceptable in " When the Children are Asleep " ) can be considered to be even more abusive . 
