Our Town
From Freepedia
- See Our Town (1940 movie) for the adapted 1940 film.
Our Town is a play by Thornton Wilder that is set in the fictional community of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. As the narrator, the Stage Manager, says, "nothing exciting happens in Grover's Corners." It is a story of character development and details the interactions between citizens of the town as they live their lives (particularly George Gibbs, a doctor's son, and Emily Webb, the daughter of a newspaper editor). Our Town opened on February 4, 1938 in New York City. The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1938. It was adapted into a film in 1940.
Characters
The major characters are:
Dr. Frank F. Gibbs,
George Gibbs,
Mrs. Julia Hersey Gibbs,
Charles Webb,
Emily Webb,
Mrs. Myrtle Webb,
Stage Manager,
Simon Stimson
Plot
Act 1
The story begins with the Stage Manager providing a description of the town. After this, the stage cuts to scenes within the Gibbs's and Webb's homes, both families preparing their children for school. The day is Emily Webb's twelfth birthday, which bares significance in the third act. After this, the Stage Manager guides us through town, showing us various areas such as the Sentinel, the town newspaper that is run by Charles Webb, and the church. During the scene after the Church, Mrs. Webb, Mrs. Gibbs, and Mrs. Soames discuss Simon Stimson. Stimson is the church organist with a reputation for being a drunkard. Due to his non-conforming nature, he is often the subject of the town's gossip. The act also includes a scene in which George and Emily discuss George's trouble is school, foreshadowing a future relationship.
Act Two
After three years, George and Emily announce their plans to wed. The wedding day is filled with stress, topped off by George's visit to the Webb's home. There, he meets Mr. Webb, who tells hem of his father's advice, telling him to treat her like property and never respect her needs. Webb continues on to say that he did the exact opposite and has been happy since. Mr. Webb concludes in telling George to never take advice from anyone on those matters. Eventually, the wedding ensues, with George, in fit of nervousness, tells his mother that he isn't ready. However, he proceeds down the aisle and the two are eventually wed.
Act Three
The scene cuts to a graveyard, where Sam Craig, Emily's cousin, and Joe Stoddard, the undertaker, are walking through the graveyard. The person being buried is Emily Webb, who died in childbirth. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the living, the dead are congregated outside of their respective tombstones. Among them are Mrs. Gibbs, Mrs. Soames, and Simon Stimson. The Ghost of Emily soon joins them. As she tells them of her demise, Mrs. Soames makes the remark, "My, wasn't life awful - and wonderful". This line summarizes the whole play, showing that life has both it's upsides and downsides, the upside being the child's birth, the downside being Emily's death. Emily is given the choice to relive one day in her life, against the advice of Mrs. Gibbs, who explains that in doing this you relive and watch the day. She advises Emily that if she is to pick a day to relive, she should pick one that is insignificant. She decides on her twelfth birthday, the same day that begins act one. She is at first overwhelmed with joy, but this soon succumbs o tears, due to the fact that she cannot speak to her mother. The day ends, and she finds herself back in the graveyard. Stimson, who hung himself in the attic, reveals the bitterness of his soul, remarking that life was full of ignorant people who never cared. The rest of the dead eventually reassure Emily. The climax occurs at the end, with George Gibbs approaching Emily’s grave and collapsing in tears. The play is closed with the Stage Manager describing the next day, showing that life goes on.
