Can you imagine Our Town as a play in the manner of the nineteenth century? Imagine an educated, interested audience watching the story of George Gibbs and Emily Webb. Threre is a stage in front of them decorated with the façade of two houses, two fences, some flowers, a painted butternut tree. There are two stoves inside the buildings, tables with tableclothes, some kitchen utensils, a hall-stand and so on.
The audience follows the story. They watch Dr. Gibbs chatting with Howie Newsome, the Webbs having breakfast. They see how George and Emily fall in love with one another in Morgan’s drugstore and then they marry. Emily dies and George mourns for his wife while she is talking to other deaths.
Of course this is a speculative question, but do you think people would enjoy that play? It would be rather boring, I think. “The play has no dramatic conflict, there is no significance within the plot. There is nothing special about George and Emily. The whole thing is ordinary and unimportant”, they would probably say – and they would be right.
So why did Our Town win the Pulitzer-Prize? Why was it called the American drama by some critics and why did it become so popular in postwar Germany?
Because it is not presented in the manner the nineteenth century. The construction of Our Town is totally different from what we call “fourth-wall stage”. The play is presented in a (at that time) new way: It is a narrative drama. As the form of such a drama gives new possibilities to potray a story, Our Town is far more than just its plot. The main emphasis of the meaning moves away from the plot towards the form.
The epic aspects of Our Town and its effects on the interpretation will be the topic of this essay.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Role of the Stage Manager
3. Narrative Construction and Allegory
4. Universal Themes and Repetition
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This essay explores the innovative narrative construction of Thornton Wilder’s play "Our Town," focusing on how the departure from traditional nineteenth-century staging and the introduction of the Stage Manager as a meta-narrative figure transform the work into an allegory of universal human existence.
- The subversion of the "fourth-wall stage" and traditional scenery.
- The multifaceted role of the Stage Manager as narrator, actor, and director.
- The significance of repetition in portraying the cyclical nature of life.
- The transition from specific plot points to the "marvelousness of the unheroic."
Excerpt from the Book
Some thoughts on the construction of Our Town
Far more important than the curious scenery is the stage manager. Following the stage directions he has to wait for the arriving audience on stage (I, 5). Then he introduces the play, the actors and soberly gives some information about Grover’s Corners. He mentiones the day the play begins (May, 7, 1901, I, 6). The stage manager gives introducing information which usually are given in a paper handed out in the theater and the audience expect the stage manager to leave the stage and the play to begin. But after a sign (a rooster’s crow) actually the play begins and the stage manager is still part of it (I, 6). Now he transforms into a narrator. He describes the town, tells where Main Street is, where the several churches lie, the Town Hall, the schools and so on. Like a narrator the stage manager tries to create pictures in people’s minds, he invites the audience to pretend to be in Grovers Corner’s because he does not just say “Grover’s Corners has a Main Street, the Baptist Church is by the river, Town Hall and Post Office are combined,...”. He uses words like “Up here – is Main Street”, “Over there is the Congregational Church”, “Along here’s a row of stores” (all I, 6,7) and he points to the imaginary parts of Grover’s Corners. The stage manager also addresses the audience, he really talks to them: “Well, I’d better show you how our town lies.” (I, 6). These words make clear that the stage manager considers himself as part of the town as well. The audience must feel like a group of tourist listening to a guide introducing his town.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter establishes the core argument that "Our Town" succeeds by abandoning traditional dramatic conflict in favor of a narrative form that emphasizes the form of the play over its plot.
The Role of the Stage Manager: This section analyzes how the Stage Manager functions as an omniscient guide, announcer, and actor, effectively shattering the illusion of reality to create a more direct, universal engagement with the audience.
Narrative Construction and Allegory: This part examines how the play’s non-traditional structure, including the sparse scenery and narrative interruptions, serves to frame the ordinary lives of the characters as an allegory for all human experience.
Universal Themes and Repetition: This chapter highlights the use of daily routines and recurring motifs to emphasize the concepts of aging, family, and the passage of time, ultimately showcasing the beauty of the "unheroic."
Conclusion: The final section synthesizes the analysis to conclude that the play’s greatness lies in its ability to elevate the mundane details of life into a meditation on the universe and the mind of God.
Keywords
Our Town, Thornton Wilder, Stage Manager, Narrative Drama, Epic Theater, Allegory, Universalism, Grover’s Corners, Fourth-wall stage, Dramatic construction, Human life, Unheroic, Meta-theater, Repetition, Daily life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this essay?
The essay analyzes the structural and formal techniques used in Thornton Wilder's "Our Town," specifically how the play moves away from traditional dramatic conventions to communicate universal themes.
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include the passage of time, the beauty of mundane human existence, the cyclical nature of life (birth, marriage, death), and the relationship between the audience and the narrative.
What is the main objective of the author?
The author aims to explain why "Our Town" is considered a significant American drama by demonstrating how its narrative construction transforms ordinary subject matter into a profound allegorical experience.
What methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, closely examining the text of the play, stage directions, and critical interpretations to illustrate how formal elements like the Stage Manager's role influence audience perception.
What does the main body cover?
The main body covers the function of the unconventional scenery, the multi-layered role of the Stage Manager, the interpretation of the play's three acts, and the significance of repetition in the play's structure.
Which keywords best describe the paper?
The paper is best described by keywords such as Narrative Drama, Stage Manager, Allegory, Universalism, and Thornton Wilder.
How does the Stage Manager change the audience's perception of the play?
By addressing the audience directly and performing multiple roles, the Stage Manager destroys the illusion of reality, forcing the audience to engage with the play as a construct rather than just a passive story.
What is the significance of the "unheroic" mentioned in the text?
The "marvelousness of the unheroic" refers to the play's ability to imbue everyday, seemingly unimportant life events with great beauty and universal significance.
- Quote paper
- Florian Burkhardt (Author), 2004, Some Thoughts on the Construction of 'Our Town' (Thornton Wilder), Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/46352
