Throughout the play "Our Town-, Thorton Wilder brings up the upsides to living in a small town. His use of companionship and day to day living shows how special the little things can be. Unfortunately his play also shows that mankind does not seem to understand the true concept of how valuable time and life really are. .
The setting of "Our Town- is crucial to the meaning of Wilder's play, as indicated by the title. "Our- town really refers to Grover's Corners, an imaginary small town located in New Hampshire, just across the Massachusetts line. By referring to the setting as our town, Wilder is indicating that the place has universal appeal as an ordinary small town. It is filled with ordinary places, such as the post office, the church, the train station, and the school, the inhabitants are just average human beings, people that most audiences can identify with. Wilder's picture of Grover's Corners, with its limited culture, intellect, and economics, gives us an idea of the early years of the twentieth century.
The small community of Grovers Corners is the perfect example of a laid back town that takes time to notice their surroundings and make friends and acquaintances. In the first act, small talk between townsfolk is a major part of the action. In scene with Joe Crowell and Doc Gibbs we note that the weather is brought up more than once and the tone between the two of them is friendly. .
It is noteworthy that the people in Grovers Corners, seem to stay in the small town. In the listing of the key facts by Editor Webb, he states that about 90% of the high school graduates stay in the town after school. Something about the small town life must appeal to them, because the teens are not all wild to get out of the small community to "see the world-. .
One other thing that the Editor mentions in his speech, is the lack of culture and the arts in the town. These people are content.
