Our town is a play that takes place near the turn of the century in the small rural town of grovers corners, new hampshire. The play takes the audience through the cycles of life, with the purpose of getting a universal message stating that life shouldnt be taken for granted. Something happened in our town follows two families one white, one black as they discuss a police shooting of a black man in their community. Plot analysisnotesour town by thornton wilder thebestnotes. Significantly, this act, like the earlier one, begins at 5. The wonder quotes below all refer to the symbol of our town. Analysis as the audience enters the theater, the stage manager places some tables and chairs on an otherwise empty stage, as well as a bench. The story aims to answer childrens questions about such traumatic events, and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives. Thornton wilder, gertrude stein, and the making of americans. Narrated by the stage manager, we follow the gibbs and webb families, residents of grovers corners, through twelve years of life changes from the mundane in.
Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of our town and what it means. The stage manager tells us that we are peering in on grovers corners, new hampshire, but we get the feeling that we could be in any small american town. How do these aspects of life operate within the plays overarching themes. This combined with the previous character introductions shows that the stage manager is focused on sharing the death dates of the different characters in the. Telling the story of grovers corners, a fictional small town, it takes place between 1901 and 19, tracking the lives of a group of ordinary, smalltown americans as they go about their daily routines. Read a plot overview of the entire play or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Free study guide for our town by thornton wilder book summary. Jul 26, 2019 the tiny town of grovers corners is years away from its first motor vehicle, and most families live in the city their entire lives. Monkeynotes free online study guide book notes summary for.
He explains that since grovers corners is a very small town, all. Willard and is continued in a similar strain by editor webb, who provides the statistical data about the composition of the town along religious, social, and political lines. Our town is a 1938 metatheatrical threeact play by american playwright thornton wilder which won the pulitzer prize for drama. Narrated by the stage manager, we follow the gibbs and webb families, residents of grovers corners, through twelve years. A landmark in american drama, thornton wilders pulitzer prizewinning our town tells the story of a small town, grovers corners, new hampshire, in order to tell us the story of every town, the whole world over. Our town is one of the only works of canonical literature that espouses the opposite extreme. After the audience returns from intermission, the stage manager formally announces the beginning of act ii and explains that three years have passed since the last act. Our town our town is introduced and narrated by the stage manager, who welcomes the audience to the fictional town of grovers corners, new hampshire, early on a may morning in 1901. Plot analysis notes our town by thornton wilder act iii, section 1 summary. Thanks for exploring this supersummary plot summary of our town by thornton wilder.
In order to create the feel of a church, he alters the stage props and announces he will serve as the minister. Our town by thornton wilder meet your next favorite book. Study guide for our town by thornton wildersummaryanalysisbook notes free booknotesonlinedownload. As the house lights dim, he speaks directly to the audience, telling them who wrote and directed the play, as well as necessary facts about grovers corners, new hampshire, just across the massachusetts line he announces the time as being just before dawn on. During the intermission, the audience can watch the stagehands rearranging the sparse set. Grovers corners is the perfect picture of an american town before urbanization automobiles are a novelty, everyone is up in each others business, and milk is still delivered fresh every morning. In the opening scene, the stage is largely empty, except for some tables and chairs that represent the homes of the gibbs and webb families, the. Study guide for our town by thornton wilder act iii, section 2 summary. His work delves into ecological and sociological themes regularly, and many of his novels appear to be the direct result of his own scientific fascinations, such as the 15 years of research and lifelong fascination with mars which culminated in his most famous work. Plot analysisnotesour town by thornton wilder act iii, section 1 summary.
Critical essays thematic structure of our town cliffsnotes. The everyday and the ordinary theme in our town litcharts. Keith randolph smith and company in a 2017 staging of our town at miami new drama. As the stage manager notes, most families stay in grovers corners forever. The story he tells is one of life, love and death, universal to anywhere in the world. The play takes the audience through the cycles of life, with the purpose of getting a message across stating that life shouldnt be taken for granted. Then he introduces us to the webbs and the gibbses, who are two of the town s main families. Our town, by thornton wilder is a play that takes place in a small fictional town of grovers corner, new hampshire. The audience, arriving, sees an empty stage in halflight. This study guide is currently being revised and reformatted. When the audience is quiet and seated, the stage manager explains that the play is called our town and takes place in grovers corners, new hampshire.
This study guide consists of approximately 24 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of our town. A summary of part x section1 in thornton wilders our town. As the stage manager notes, most families stay in grovers corners. There are no complex characters who lend themselves to psychological analysis. Wilders greatest and bestknown work as a playwright, our town opens with the stage managers.
Our town is a play by thornton wilder that revolves around life in the small town of grovers corners, new hampshire. Justin explains that at school, theyre doing the play our town for the spring show. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this our town study guide. Via dared him to try out for the lead role and somehow, he got it. After an overview of the town, the stage manager zeroes in on two. Morgan, the town druggist, acts the the everyman to tell the story of his town, grovers corners, new hampshire, which in turn acts as the anyplace. Medicine, and the lack of it, plays an important role in our town. Analysis of our town by thornton wilder top papers. First, he talks directly to the audience and acknowledges that he is in a play. The play tells the story of the fictional american small town of grovers corners between 1901 and 19 through the everyday lives of its citizens. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from sparknotes and verify that you are over the age of. Justin is nervous about having only six weeks to memorize his lines and keep up with the rest of his life.
He starts the story in 1901 solely to set the stage. See a complete list of the characters in our town and indepth analyses of stage manager, emily webb, and george gibbs. For justin, our town is an opportunity for him to come into himself and become more comfortable in his own skin. Our towns is a monumental validation of that hypothesiswith real stories and real people, who are really getting things done. He addresses the audience, telling them that they are about to see a play called our town and names the director and actors of the particular production. Our town is a play which tells the story of a generic american town, grovers corners, new hampshire, which seems mundane at first, but then starts to show that meaning can be imbued into anything in life, even the insignificant parts of it. Study guide for our town by thornton wildersummary. The way the content is organized and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive. The lesson that we learn is the need to be content with the traditional rhythms of life rather than go searching for something strange and exciting. He does not give a name for act iii, but he notes, theres another act coming after this. Mar 30, 2019 written by thorton wilder, our town is a play that explores the lives of people living in a small, quintessentially american town.
The stage manager claps his hands to signal the end of the flashback. This happens mostly through the character of the stage manager, but also through scenes in which characters like professor willard speak directly to the audience. He tells where all of the main buildings of the town are located and gives pertinent facts about grovers corners. Our town our town, by thornton wilder is a play that takes place in a small fictional town of grovers corner, new hampshire. Gibbs death, simon stimsons suicide, and emilys death during childbirth. Analyze the plays portrayal of love, courtship, and married life. Jul 26, 2020 immediately download the our town summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching our town. This play by thornton wilder represents the daily lives of people in america from 1901 to 19. A couple of chairs are lined in a row beside a gravesite in the cemetery. While joe stoddard is supervising the newly dug grave, sam craig, emilys cousin through marriage, saunters in. Immediately download the our town summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching our town. A short summary of thornton wilders our town this free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of our town. Online notes for our town by thornton wilder act ii, section 4 summary.
After an overview of the town, the stage manager zeroes in on two neighboring families. In 1928, he published his second novel, the bridge of san luis rey. Through the conversation of the two men, the audience learns about mrs. New book about our town explores the timelessness of the. The first act describes their daily lives, the second act focuses on love and marriage, and the third act discusses death. It was first produced in 1938 and received the pulitzer prize for drama.
Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in our town, which you can use to track the themes throughout. Oup town by thornton wilder thisisadefinitive edition ofthornton wilders bestknown andmostfrequently performed play. This comprehensive lesson plan includes 30 daily lessons, 180 multiple choice questions, 20 essay questions, 20 fun activities, and more everything you need to teach our town. Study guide for our town by thornton wilder summary analysis book notes free booknotesonlinedownload. The first performance of this play took place at the mccarter. Joe stoddard, the undertaker working on the preparation of emilys grave, describes the town and its inhabitants to sam craig, emilys cousin by marriage. One of the most striking features of our town is the way in which the play repeatedly breaks the socalled fourth wall, the imaginary division between the world of the stage and the audience that nearly all drama respects. A modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, supersummary offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. First produced andpub lished in1938, atwhich timeitwonthe pulitzer prize, itsreputation asanameri canclassic hasincreased overtheyears. Our town by thornton wilder page 2 act i no curtain. Critical essays our town from the current perspective thornton wilders our town comes in for its share of negative criticism. I reckon you can guess what thats about thus, four themes take shape.
The stage manager is the most important character in the play due to all the. The first act introduces the webb and gibbs, families. This play is one of the most performed plays in america, and it was successful on broadway and was awarded the pulitzer prize for drama. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the sparknotes our town study guide has everything you need to ace. The town they describe is grovers corners, new hampshire. In thornton wilders our town, emily webb and george gibbs grow up together and marry in the town of grovers corners. This play is unconventional in its use of minimal sets and complete lack of props. The two young people arrange a way so that emily can assist george. In this lesson, we examine the play our town by thornton wilder. Study questions essay topic ideas for our town by thornton. When the stage manager reaches his place, the lights come to black. Monkeynotes study guide summaryour town by thornton. The stage manager returns and tells more about the town. Youll get access to all of the our town content, as well as access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000.
Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Our town violates most of the traditions of the theater. When the audience arrives, the stage is empty, and the stage manager begins to arrange tables and chairs. Our town is a 1940 film adaptation of a play of the same name by thornton wilder starring william holden, martha scott, fay bainter, beulah bondi, thomas mitchell, guy kibbee and frank craven. At the same time, stage manager himself is an important actor who constantly points out what happened to one or another character in the past and what will. Monkeynotes study guide summaryour town by thornton wilder. Miranda got the female lead, while via was cast as the understudy. The stage manager narrates the daily life of grovers corners. Analysis as its title suggests, our town is a play about a typical townin this case, a typical american town. Monkeynotes free online study guide summary for our town. Study guide for our town by thornton wildersummaryanalysis.
The best study guide to our town on the planet, from the creators of sparknotes. Jan 29, 2021 our town debuted in 1938, but its still staged everywhere. Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the book by reading. The first performance of this play took place at the. The stage manager, who is the narrator of the play, breaks several rules of theater.
The playwright, thornton wilder is trying to convey the importance of the little, often unnoticed things in life. Since he has lived in buffalo the last twelve years, he does not recognize joe and introduces himself. The fact that justin can make this transformation by acting reinforces the novels assertion that empathy and understanding which actors need to properly portray their characters are necessary to grow up. The act opens with the appearance of the stage manager, who speaks directly to the audience. As act iii begins, the actors come in and take their seats. Our town was first produced and published in 1938 to wide acclaim.
Most stringent are comments about his refusal to deal with controversial elements of grovers corners particularly bigotry, alcohol abuse, and sex discrimination. Kim stanley robinson is an american science fiction writer, probably best known for his awardwinning mars trilogy. Our town is introduced and narrated by the stage manager, who welcomes the audience to the fictional town of grovers corners, new hampshire, early on a may morning in 1901. Margulies statement about the plausible modern application of our town is readily seen.
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