Expressionism & Symbolism in "Our Town"

A key aspect of American Theatre is the playwright’s desire to extend beyond the boundaries of realism through the use of expressionistic and symbolist techniques. Plays such as Thornton Wilder’s, “Our Town” though clearly realistic in the portrayal of character and in the general action of the play extend beyond realism to impart a greater meaning and emotional resonance to the ideas and concerns of the playwright. The characters, despite their universality are portrayed as real and recognizable characters, who participate in real life activities, react to one another realistically and who the audience is able to relate to.

Symbolism

Symbolism attempted to bring the realm of dream into the theatre in order to construct a more holistic reality that recognized the importance of the subconscious. Symbolists saw art as a means of transcending reality in order to seek and realize a greater truth. They used symbols to transcend what was normally considered “realistic” in everyday life. “They hoped that the symbols would take the audience beyond the real world to a higher level of understanding. Characters were created in poetic terms. Ideas were expressed in sophisticated, abstract forms and terms, as opposed to the simplicity of realism and
Naturalism. They created an abstract rather than real world”

Expressionism

The Expressionist movement was a revolt against realistic theatre in the early twentieth century. The main aim of expressionism was to transform nature rather than imitate it. Expressionist playwrights would do this by showing how a simple object may take on gigantic proportions within the realm of the play. For example, in Elmer Rice’s play “The Adding Machine”, his character Mr Zero sees the adding machine and a judge’s stand as huge and overpowering. In Expressionism, fantasy and symbolism are combined, as well as fragments of Realism and Naturalism, just as in the dream sequence of the human mind. In Expressionistic plays fantasy and reality alternate in remarkable elusiveness. Character at times may appear to be robots or dream figures and at other times real.

In Expressionistic plays, people are usually not bound by traditions of duty, morality, society or family. Humans are not represented as individuals nor classified in specific roles. Characters often have generalized names such as Mother or Worker. The playwright transforms the playwright to represent all humanity; or emphasizes human values by showing an individual at odds with the world. Expressionism was consciously primitive and simplified in order to penetrate human universality. Sometimes physical action in Expressionistic plays is so dominant that language becomes unnecessary and the action focuses on mime.
To the Expressionist, love was absolute, a way to escape the restrictions and compromises of the world. Since Expressionism depicted the worthiness of humanity, characters were drawn with pathos. They also had a definite social point of view, which usually represented the view of the author.
Expressionist plays use kaleidoscopic outdoor and indoor settings. Scenic units and props are symbolic. Settings are used to support the main thought of the play. Little or no naturalistic detail is included. Light and shadow contrast frequently to create spectacle, visual wonder and excitement. Music and sound effects are integrated much like music and sound in film. A “total” theatre approach is used – or balanced integration of all theatrical elements.

Our Town

Thornton Wilder’s, “Our Town” extends the American realist tradition by embroidering within it, both in form and style, elements of expressionism and symbolism. The world created by Thornton Wilder blends realistic character portrayal and ensconces it in a world whose theatrical uniqueness comes more from the traditions of expressionism and symbolism.

The lack of reliance on theatrical effects is an example of expressionism. Wilder’s thoughts and feelings about the world he is creating are able to be imparted to the audience and not held back by the constraints of the traditional realistic form. It is through the voice of the narrator that Wilder speaks so directly to us. And yet in so much as this technique imparts a more personal and philosophical perspective to the audience, it is also a means by which the audience can realize their own personal vision of the town and in so doing gain greater purchase of the themes and concerns that Wilder is exploring.

Wilder wanted to move away from the detail of realistic theatre that would be incapable of representing the breadth of his vision. Rather than utilizing naturalism and theatrical effects to render the town of Grover’s Corners, Wilder’s use of a narrator allows language to impart to us the many details of Grover’s Corners and, just like the relationship of novel to reader, so too is set up a relationship between narrator and audience for each member of the audience will walk away with a very detailed yet different view of the town. The use of the narrator to control time, place and action is very expressionistic. The narrator speaks directly to the audience, selecting specific moments and guiding and directing the audience’s attention and in effect becoming the voice of Thornton Wilder. The choice of action is always purposeful; to make a point about some aspect of life or an important connection. In this regard the vision is a very selective one that reflects the playwright’s views not only about life but also the theatre.

We are welcomed into the world of Grover’s Corners and it is with such detail that the town is laid out for us by the stage manager. Yet a prerequisite of invitation is that we, the audience, bring our imaginations with us and understand that this is ultimately a play and that we are audience members. This awareness is heightened when Wilder has actors planted in the audience. The fourth wall is broken down thus allowing the audience to have a sense of greater involvement in the action but equally a reinforcement of the fact that they are watching a play; an artifice of reality. Again, this is an expressionistic concept. Throughout the play, we are very aware of Thornton Wilder’s attitudes about the theatre.

The specifics and detail of Grover’s Corners are rendered so dutifully for its audience so that each member of the audience can relate and see themselves as part of that town. This is the symbolic heart of the play, for the town on many levels represents all community, relationships, and of the connections that that make us human. It is Thornton Wilder’s aim to allow the audience to see their own humanity in the world of Grover’s Corners. In this sense, the town transcends the literal realistic and place specific world of traditional realism.

An ongoing theme is that of change and it is through the expressionistic form that Thornton Wilder is able to show that change. The fluidity of time is an example of this. The play spans a period of thirteen years and the narrator speaks of the past, the present and the future as if time is relative. The narrator’s timeless perspective allows Wilder to take the audience beyond the town to see the town as a representation of the temporal life. Through expressionism we are able to see beyond the physical dimension and perceive something of the spiritual. In the third act, the character of Emily is privy to this view and we, the audience, privy to the afterlife. Throughout this scene is the ever present idea that each moment in life is precious. This is able to be conveyed definitively and with great certainty through the insight of the narrator and the unique experience of Emily. Ultimately, the audience is privy to the thoughts of the playwright through the expressionistic form.

In “Our Town”, the emphasis is always upon the characters and their portrayal is grounded firmly in realism. The essential action of the play is realism. The style of acting is realistic and all the characters are easily identifiable. Even when in the other world, the characters are realistically portrayed. The dialogue of the play and the way in which characters react to one another is very real. We are not presented with anything that we would consider out of place for a play that is portraying small town America. All the action of the play in the first tow acts is contained within the everyday; we see characters eat, work, go to school, mature and get married. The realistic portrayal of the characters allows for character development as for example in the development of the characters of George and Emily. It also gives the characters an emotional truth that allows for audience empathy and ultimately emotional connection.