Our Town: Analysis of Major Characters
"Our Town: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the key figures of Thornton Wilder's play set in the fictional small town of Grover's Corners. The stage manager serves as a guiding voice, providing insights and commentary on the unfolding story. Central to the narrative are Emily Webb and George Gibbs, a young couple whose lives embody the themes of love, loss, and the complexities of domestic life. Emily, characterized by her optimism and dedication, tragically dies during childbirth, prompting George to confront his grief and the fleeting nature of life. Other significant characters include Dr. Gibbs and Mrs. Gibbs, who embody the hardworking, nurturing aspects of parenthood, and the local choir director, Simon Stimson, whose struggles with alcoholism highlight the darker undercurrents of small-town life. The interactions among these characters paint a poignant picture of everyday existence, emphasizing the importance of appreciating life's simple joys. The play ultimately invites reflection on the human experience and the relationships that shape our lives, resonating with diverse audiences through its universal themes.
Our Town: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Thornton Wilder
First published: 1938
Genre: Play
Locale: New Hampshire
Plot: Symbolism
Time: 1901–1913
The stage manager, who acts as a chorus in explaining and commenting on the action and the characters as the play unfolds.
Emily Webb, a sweet young woman who grows up in Grover's Corners, a small American town. She works hard in school, tries to be cheerful, and falls in love with the town's best baseball player. She dies in childbirth while still young and shyly takes her place among her relatives and friends in the little graveyard. She tries to relive her twelfth birthday, only to discover that to relive is no joy and that the dead can only pity the living who know not what joy they have in life.
George Gibbs, a typical young American boy who loves baseball. He gives up going to college to marry Emily, whom he dearly loves. When his wife dies, he is filled with grief and goes to sob at her grave, not realizing that she pities him for not valuing the life he still enjoys.
Dr. Gibbs, the local physician and George's father. He is shocked to find that his son wants to marry and become a farmer but finally realizes that the youth is really no longer a child, any more than the doctor was when he married. Dr. Gibbs is a hardworking man whose hobby is the American Civil War; his idea of a vacation is an excursion to some battlefield of that conflict.
Mrs. Gibbs, George's mother, a hardworking woman who loves her family, even though she does not always understand them. She has found joy in her marriage and hopes her son will find joy in his.
Rebecca Gibbs, George's sister.
Wally Webb, Emily's brother.
Mr. Webb, Emily's father, the editor and publisher of the local newspaper. He writes editorials every day, yet he cannot bring himself to advise his son-in-law on marriage, though he tries.
Mrs. Webb, Emily's mother, a good-hearted woman. On Emily's wedding day, she finds herself unable to give her daughter advice on marriage, though she had meant to do so.
Simon Stimson, the local choir director. He has become an alcoholic because he cannot find happiness in the small town. Even in death, after committing suicide, he believes life is ignorance and folly.
Joe Crowell, a newspaper boy.
Howie Newsome, a milkman.