The use of expressionistic technique in Thornton Wilder's Our Town

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate in detail the ways in which Thornton Wilder uses expressionistic techniques in his play Our Town. It is not the intent of this thesis to prove that Our Town is an expressionistic play, but rather to reveal the ways in which Wilder used formal techniques of expressionism, consciously or unconsciously.

The first chapter will consist of a review of material written on Wilder; the second chapter will be a discussion of expressionism; and the third chapter will deal with the specific ways that Wilder employs expressionistic techniques in Our Town in the areas of structure, character, language, and stagecraft.