Our Town is a Pulitzer winning play. The Thornton Wilder play gives a tale of a fictional American town. It provides in-depth insights into the daily lives of its inhabitant’s. It describes Grover’s corners in detail. The play relates to any time even though it was initially written in 1938. The whole play depicts how routine is significant in an individual’s life. It discusses the significance of minute things that are often taken for granted in life.
Wilder in the play attempts to explain why life is an endless cycle. He creates an impression that life is marred by uncertainties for instance at times one is happy, and at times one is not. It implies that life is dynamic as everything is prone to change. He attributes life to that of a season for instance; when the sun rises in the morning, it is expected to set in the evening. It means that at times there is limited change because one is supposed to have both bad and good times.
Technically, a person is always leading a life either worse or better than the other. Despite this, the seasons will still come and go. In Act One, Mr. Webb claims that they enjoy the pleasures of having to see the sun rise over the mountains every morning. According to Webb, it is the little things in life that matter to the residents of Grover’s Corners. The citizens appreciate nature including the landscape and the chirping of birds.
The individuals in the town seem to know each other in an out. It is a small town life whereby personal affairs are known. The town’s residents are familiar with well-behaved citizens and the towns’ most ill-mannered residents. It shows that the town has no secrets at all and some individuals who lead worse lives than others. In one scenario, the Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs are gossiping about the towns most intoxicated resident Mr. Simon Stimson. They claim to know every deed he does meaning that every detail is critically scrutinized in the town.
The play deals explicitly with daily life. It evaluates regular happenings in the lives of ordinary people. The mothers in the families of the two protagonists the Gibbs and the Webbs wake their children daily and prepare them for school. It is expected that women are domestic workers. It is clearly shown by how they cook breakfast for their families and carry out the household chores in the family. It is a societal construct that has been in existence since time immemorial.
The first act sets the tone of marriage between George Gibbs and Emily Webb. Joe Crowell Jr announces that his teacher is getting married. In another scene the choir leader prepares the choir to perform at an upcoming wedding. These are some of the usual occurrences when there is a significant event like a wedding or a funeral in any typical small town. The town members become excited and would like to contribute in any manner they deem appropriate.
The family setting shows what human life is comprised of. The protagonists are two childhood friends who have seen each other from their tender years. They both grow up, fall in love and start their own families.
The play uses a lot of foreshadowing and flashbacks to pass its message. At one point it reminisces about how George and Emily first fell in love. The other flashback is in the second act when the stage manager claims that although three years have gone by, nothing has changed. But then in Act three, the stage manager posits that there have been gradual changes in Grover’s corners. He, for instance, claims that although things do not change much around the region, Fords are slowly replacing horses.
Death is feared in all spectrums across the globe. The citizens in their quest for happiness show a grave worry for death. They seem hesitant to approach death. It has made the children in the town to fear growing up since they are not aware of what the future holds for them. The third act makes the target audience see that the dead regret not leading meaningful lives during their tentative years. It means that they did not realize the importance of leading exciting lives. Instead, they led mundane lives that were non-spiritual. Their focus was on carnal things and not heavenly things.
Wilder’s main idea is to ensure that individuals appreciate all minute things life has to offer. He intends to ensure that people forego the negative aspects of life and focus on the positive. Through the play, the plea is to mitigate negativity despite the ever increasingly optimistic and changing world. According to the director, it is imperative to seize the moment and to get pleasure from as it is.
The play interestingly explains the three main stages in life namely life, marriage and death. The play narrates the disturbing reality of life that individuals must contend with. An example is when Emily flashbacks to a special day in her past. She realizes what life was was and how it was supposed to be led. Emily failed to fulfill her life since she had misplaced priorities in life. She realizes that she did not appreciate what she had at the opportune time.
Willy Loman priorities are on being a reputable salesman. His quest makes him ignore the things that matter to him including his family. His status in the society ended up reducing without him realizing. It is the desire to be successful that led to his eventual demise. Emily, on the other hand, wishes she could be given time to change what she was unable to in her younger years. She remembers her twelfth birthday, the food, the coffee and the love around her. In her death, she still does not comprehend why living takes life for granted.
The setting of Our Town is applicable in any part of the world. The occurrences are similar to the incidents in any other part of the world. It makes it easier for the target audience to connect with other typical American small towns have experienced.
Our Town reflects on a lot of people’s personal experiences. It follows the process of life from birth to death. It explores the time of simplicity for various individuals. It investigates how ordinary people do ordinary things in their territories. Any individual from dive walks of life can connect with the play since the happenings are homogenous with those of other towns.
The most vital lesson learned in the play is that people should learn to lead lives in a manner that they would not regret in the future. Emily’s experience at her death strives to remind the target audience that it is the little things that matter in life. It shows that there is always time to do everything in the various phases of life. It shows that we will live to regret our actions. The play seems to warn that the consequences of adopting misplaced priorities can be catastrophic. The play paints a picture that if one leads a mundane life, they would not like what they see if they reflected on their past.
The overall concept of the production is to detail out the significance of appreciation. The play is exciting since it is easy to follow and relatable. What is thought-provoking is the fact that the play is not afraid to explore the theme of death. What did not work for me in the play is the notion that one has to lead a spiritual life to have a meaningful life. The play encourages individuality. It insinuates that people should desist from following the pressures of society but rather concentrate on the things that genuinely make them happy.
The three components of the show namely birth, marriage and death are easily unmistakable. The production has approached the appreciation theme through filial settings. Every action is made in reference to the filial ties the characters have. The setting gives a homely feel making it easily connectable with. In summary, the play defines what a small town is. It implies that a small town knows what happens in each other’s lives. In conclusion, the play suggests that it is okay to be unique and different even though they might be frowned upon by society.
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