Key Facts
full title · Our Town
author · Thornton Wilder
type of work · Play
genre · Wilder's play defies most conventional theatrical genres.
It is neither a comedy nor a tragedy, neither a romance nor
a farce. It is, rather, a contemplative work concerning the
human experience.
language · English
time and place written · 1934–1938,
United States
date of first publication · 1938
publisher · Coward-McCann, Inc.
narrator · The play does not contain the sort of narrator that
a novel might, but the Stage Manager does act as a narrator figure,
guiding us through the action.
tone · The Stage Manager, essentially the play's narrator,
often speaks directly to the audience in an authoritative and informative voice.
He is polite but firm in his cues to other characters. However,
he also appears quite contemplative at times, especially during
his longer monologues. Many characters in the play also have moments
of philosophical reverie, and the play's dialogue and exposition
tends to be nostalgic and introspective.
setting (time) · Act I takes place on May 7, 1901;
Act II takes place on July 7, 1904,
with a flashback to approximately one year earlier; Act III takes
place in the summer of 1913, with a flashback
to February 11, 1899
setting (place) · Grover's Corners, New Hampshire
protagonists · The most significant figure in the play is the Stage
Manager, who orchestrates the action onstage and serves as the glue
that holds disparate scenes together. However, the narrative action
revolves around Emily Webb and George Gibbs, who fall in love and
get married.
major conflict · Humans constantly struggle to realize that the eternal
exists even within ordinary events.
rising action · The depiction of daily life; the first romantic conversation between
George and Emily; the couple's wedding
climax · After dying in childbirth and joining the dead souls
in the cemetery, Emily returns to relive a day from her earthly
life, which makes her realize how little the living appreciate the
value of life.
falling action · Emily returns to the world of the dead souls in the
cemetery.
themes · The transience of human life; the importance of companionship; the
artificiality of the theater
motifs · The stages of life; natural cycles; morning; the manipulation
of time
symbols · The time capsule; Howie Newsome and the Crowell boys;
the hymn “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds”
foreshadowing · George and Emily's sweet conversations in Act I point
toward a burgeoning romance in Act II. The Stage Manager's indications in
Act I that this play will discuss marriage and then death clue us in
to the direction that George and Emily's relationship, which is at
the center of the play, will take.
