Wilder, Thornton: 1897-1975

Our Town, 1938 - Thematic Parallels: Everyday Life

Everyday Life refers to the routine, ordinary, and habitual activities and experiences that people go through on a daily basis. It encompasses the mundane, repetitive, and often unnoticed aspects of living.
Wilder, Thornton: Our Town, 1938
This is a play whose central topic is the beauty and transience of everyday life.
The following books are thematically simliar. They lend themselves well to being read in groups, compared with one another, or used to teach a similar topic over an extended period with a class:
- Ayckbourn, Alan: Invisible Friends, 1989, ~70pp
  This play explores everyday life and human relationships in small communities or families, aligning with the thematic style of “Our Town."
  - While "Our Town" is a poetic meditation on life’s universality and "Invisible Friends" is a comedic yet poignant examination of family and childhood imagination, they converge in their focus on ordinary life, human relationships, and the subtle critique of societal norms. Both challenge the audience to look more deeply at everyday experiences and relationships.
- Haddon, Mark: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, 2003, ~270pp
  This novel centers around everyday experiences and family life.
  - Both works focus on ordinary life, use unconventional narrative perspectives, and explore universal human experiences. They challenge audiences to notice the beauty, complexity, and fragility of everyday existence, whether through Christopher’s meticulous logic or the Stage Manager’s reflective commentary.
- O’Neill, Eugene: Ah Wilderness!, 1933, ~90pp
  This play explores family life and social concerns in a small town.
  - Both plays present a nostalgic, affectionate view of small-town American life, emphasizing family, community, and the passage of time, while using humor and warmth to explore universal human experiences. The main difference is that "Ah, Wilderness!"" is a light-hearted coming-of-age comedy, whereas "Our Town" is more meditative, philosophical, and universal in scope.
- Williams, Tennessee: The Glass Menagerie, 1945, ~130pp
  This play delves into family and domestic life, with focus on personal and social challenges.
  - While Wilder and Williams approach their stories differently—Wilder with universal, philosophical simplicity and Williams with intimate psychological realism—both focus on memory, ordinary life, human longing, and experimental theatrical form to deepen emotional impact.
List of general discussion questions on Everyday Life (pdf)
List of essay prompts on Everyday Life (pdf)