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Transcript

Thornton Wilder said of this play:

“Our Town is not offered as a picture of life in a New Hampshire village; or as a speculation about conditions of life after death…It is an attempt to find a value above all price for the smallest events of our daily life.”

Think about your community. On your own piece of paper (it can be the same one as the American Dream response from yesterday), describe the place where you live. What is daily life like? What activities do you and your classmates enjoy? Who are some of the different people—teachers, neighbors, etc.—with whom you come into contact every day. In other words, describe your typical day, including the people, places, events, and activities that are part of an average day.

Our Town

A Play in Three Acts

Author

Thornton Niven Wilder

  • Thornton Wilder was born in Madison, Wisconsin on April 17, 1897.
  • Thornton is the son of Amos Parker Wilder and Isabella Niven Wilder.
  • He had one brother and three sisters.
  • Thornton traveled a lot while growing up.
  • He died on December 7, 1975, and that was when he was a famous playwriter and novelist.

Main Characters

Stage Manager:

The stage manager is the narrator, but still talks with the other characters. He also plays some characters in the story, for example the minister. He explains to the audience the setting and the events happening in the story as the story goes along.

Dr. Frank Gibbs:

Dr. Gibbs is a doctor and the caring father of two kids, Rebecca and George. He died in 1930, and a new hospital was named after him.

Mrs. Julia Hersey Gibbs:

Mrs. Gibbs is Dr. Gibbs's wife. She worries about her husband and wants him to have a vacation. She also worries about her children.

Rebecca Gibbs:

Rebecca is the second child of Mrs. and Dr. Gibbs. Rebecca marries an insurance man in Canton, Ohio and she died from pneumonia. Instead of keeping her body in Ohio , her body was brought back to Grovers Corners, New Hampshire.

George Gibbs:

George Gibbs is the first child of Mrs. and Dr. Gibbs. George always desired to take over his uncle's farm. George Gibbs married Emily Webb when he was about nineteen years old.

Mrs. Myrtle Webb:

Mrs. Webb is the wife of Mr. Webb and the mother of two children, Wally and Emily. She sometimes can be overprotective and naggy, but she is still loving.

Mr. Charles Webb:

Mr. Webb is the editor and publisher of the newspaper, Grover's Corners Sentinel, which comes out twice a week.

Wallace (Wally) Webb:

Wally is the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Webb. Wally died on a Boy Scout trip to Crawford Notch; his appendix burst .

Emily Webb:

Emily Webb was the first child of Mr. and Mrs. Webb. She was a bright and smart student. Emily married George when she was 17 years old. She died while giving birth at the age of 26.

Setting

The story took place at Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. Latitude 42 degrees 40 minutes: longitude 70 degrees 37 minutes. Act One took place in the year 1901, Act Two took place in the year 1904, and Act Three took place in the year 1913.

Plot

Exposition:

The Stage Manager explains what the setting is and tells the audience who is coming. The conflict is how people do not appreciate life.

Rising Action:

The rising action was when George and Emily had their first romantic conversation that showed that they have feelings for each other. Then they decided to get married.

Climax:

Once Emily died from childbirth, she joined the dead people in the cemetery. Emily wanted to go back and relive the days of her past, but then realizes how the living is blind and how they don't cherish life.

Falling Action:

Emily returns from her journey to her past and figures out why the other peple among the dead warned her about going back to their past.

Resolution:

Emily finally understands how blind the living are and comes to join the dead once again.

Theme

The theme of the story is to cherish life; take advantage of your life.

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