Our Town by Thorton Wilder

Our Town, by Thorton Wilder is considered by Donald Haberman to have "a stage image that is unforgettable" (Haberman 9). One of the themes that Wilder tries to get through to the audience in Our Town, is "Life is precious and should be cherished." Wilder supports this theme in the acts, "Daily Life," "Marriage," and "Death."

In the first act, "Daily Life," Wilder explains how people do not realize how important life is by using regular daily life in Grover's Corner. One quote that Wilder uses to help support the theme, "Life is precious and should be cherished" is "I declare you got to speak to George. Seems like something's come over him. He won't help me at all. He won't even cut me some wood" (Wilder 13). This quote comes from act one when Mrs. Gibbs is explaining to Dr. Gibbs how George will not help Mrs. Gibbs with the chores. Here Wilder is trying to tell the audience about how George no longer wants to help Mrs. Gibbs this gives the impression that George no longer appreciates Mrs. Gibbs. George does not realize that he will not have Mrs. Gibbs forever and that he should be thankful and show his appreciation.

Also in act two, "Marriage," Wilder supports how "Life is precious....," by explaining how people continue through the same cycle over and over. One interesting quote that Wilder uses through the stage manager is "Once in a thousand times it's interesting" (Wilder 82). Wilder is explaining how people will do what is expected of them even if a person wants to do something else. This cycle is an over used patterned life style. This pattern goes through: birth, childhood, high school, possibly college, marriage, parenthood, death. This cycle is so common that it is rarely interesting to look back at somebody's life. People do not realize how to make all of what they have worth anything; instead they follow everybody else in a clichйd manner.

Wilder also uses text from Our Town in act three, "Death" to support the theme "Life is precious and should be cherished." Wilder does this by portraying to the audience what the dead think about life how the living is using life. One quote that Wilder uses in Emily's conversation with Mrs.Gibbs is "They don't understand, do they?" (Wilder 111). Wilder uses this quote to explain how the living does not