Spatial Narrative In Thornton Wilder's Our Town

Thornton Wilder is famous American playwright in the 20 th century,and is also the only one who has won Pulitzer Prize both in fiction and drama.The play Our Town,regarded as his most popular and representative work,describes the scenery of a common town and the two families' daily life in New Hampshire between 1901-1913 in three-act form.This thesis,taking the French philosopher Henri Lefebvre's spatial theory mainly with a combination of those spatial ideas from other scholars,has made a detailed analysis of the spatial narrative in Thornton Wilder's play Our Town from the three aspects of physical,psychological and social space,in order to explore the spatial implication and reveal the dramatic effects of Wilder's spatial practice.First,this thesis discusses Thornton Wilder's spatial practice,pointing out that the physical space of the town is represented through the use of dramatic signs(props and language)and special narrative strategies(juxtaposition and repetition).Next,the thesis analyzes the psychological space in Our Town,including the characters' mentality and the audience aesthetic appreciation of the play.It points out that Grover's Corners appears as a spiritual home for the townspeople.Meanwhile,Wilder's unique dramatic techniques stimulate the audience's aesthetic appreciation,leading them to get a better understanding of the play.At last,this thesis analyzes Grover's Corners as a social space.In Lefebvre's theory,any social space has its own representational meanings.This part is going to reveal the connotation of the social space,discussing Grover's Corners as a space representing America history and typical American culture.In general,the multiple spatial narrative not only strengthen the dramatic effects but also interpret the theme of the play.