Our Town

Thornton Wilder

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1938

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Summary

Act Summaries & Analyses

Act I

Act II

Act III

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

How does Wilder’s choice to make the play metatheatrical illustrate and solidify the idea of ordinariness and universality found in the play?

The passage of time brings countless changes, yet things seem to remain the same. How does Our Town exhibit the cycle of life, love, and death that continues throughout human history?

What does the Stage Manager mean when he says, “There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being” (88), and why is this statement significant to the play?