Further Research

Economic Conditions of the Early 1900s

There are several monetary references throughout Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, but the worth of the U.S. dollar has changed significantly since 1901. It is important for readers and audience members to understand the financial conversions so that they can better comprehend the economic situation at the time when compared with today.

Starting off, the amount of money parents give their kids as allowances has obviously changed in the last 122 years. In act one, both Mrs. Gibbs and Dr. Gibbs mention to George that he is going to be receiving a twenty-five cent allowance per week. While this may seem like an absurdly low amount, it actually converts to about $8.85 today, which is roughly the average allowance for teenagers in 2023. Later in act two, George buys himself and Emily a strawberry ice-cream soda to which she remarks “they’re so expensive.” After researching early 1900s drugstore menus, it is safe to say ice-cream sodas typically cost 15-30 cents each, which converts to anywhere between $5-$10 in current U.S. dollars. This would have been at least two weeks worth of George’s allowance, confirming that the ice cream sodas were very expensive for teenagers their age.

It is also mentioned in act one that Mrs. Gibbs was offered $350 for her highboy. She goes on to say that she hopes to use the potential influx of money to pay for a vacation to Paris for her and Dr. Gibbs. $350 in 1901 would convert to about $12,388 in 2023. $12,000 obviously seems like an absurd amount to pay for a vacation to Paris, but the travel fares were much different back in the 1900s. The cost for a husband, wife, and infant to travel from London to New York by steamboat was about $75, which translates to $2,300 now. Not to include the cost of the trip back, lodging, food, and any sightseeing that the Gibbs parents wanted to do.

It also might be helpful to note the approximate annual salary for both the Gibbs and Webb households. On average, physicians in 1903 made about $1,050 annually, or $37,162 in 2023 calculations. Editors made about $950, or $33,623. Both of these professions made well above the average annual salary, indicating that both families were very well off financially.

Religion

Religion played a massive role in most aspects of life back in the early 1900s. Because of religion, many traditional/conservative views were still enforced. A primary example would be that women were expected to be at home with the kids, cooking and cleaning, and being submissive to their husbands. The time in which these expectations were enforced is very different from now, but it is still beneficial to have a surface level understanding of the many different religions that were a part of this culture.

Mentioned first is the Congregational Church. The main differentiating factor between the Congregational Church and other religions is that Congregational Churches believe in the autonomy of the local church. In this, each member of the church is granted equal rights and an equal voice, which in turn encourages diversity within the group. This diversity is believed to be the origin of strength and endless opportunity for growth.

The Presbyterian Church broke off from the Roman Catholic Church and formed its own set of ideologies during the 16th century. This church is different from the Congregational Church because the Presbyterian Church believes in governing through councils or boards of elders. The word Presbyterian is derived from “presbuteros”, the Greek word for Elder.

Those who are a part of the Methodist Church believe that faith shows itself in community. They are firm believers that actions speak louder than words, and that as long as their hearts are “right with God”, they are serving their faith well. The Methodist structure is similar to that of the United States government, with three branches that lead the people.

Unitarian Churches claim a theological orientation that aspires to creativity, freedom, and compassion with respect for diversity and interconnectedness. Members seek spiritual growth and justice-making through fellowship, personal experience, social action, and education.

The Baptist Church is one of the more well-known religious groups in the United States. This church is known for its insistence that baptism is reserved for mature adults who can make a well-informed profession of their faith. This is different from most other churches, who perform baptisms on infants.

The oldest religious institution in the western world is the Catholic Church, dating back 2000 years. In this religious group, church tradition is believed to be of the same importance as the Bible. Additionally, those who practice Catholicism look to the Pope as the key human authority over the church.

Sociocultural Context Then Versus Now

It is very important to consider the time period in which this play was written compared with the sociocultural environment of today. Given that this play was originally written in 1938, a time period where minorities largely had no rights and were treated horrifically in the United States, the adaptation to Spanish and Haitian-Creole was a massive step toward making theatre a more inclusive space. With this being said, there are some discrepancies that should also be noted.

Historically, the demographic of New Hampshire has been predominantly white. Today, roughly 92% of the population is white. This means that at the time it was published, Our Town was written about white culture for white audiences. This is reflected in Grover’s Corner’s demographics being 86% Republican and 85% Protestant. Even with the adaptation of this play including Spanish and Haitian-Creole speaking families, the demographics of the play did not change to reflect this addition.

The Hispanic population largely practices Catholicism and more positively identifies with the Democratic Party. The same can be said for the Haitian population. Given that the purpose of this adaptation was to be more inclusive of the minority groups in Miami, it should be recognized that these factors are not entirely representative of the population they seek to portray. Audiences should be aware of these discrepancies so they can not only educate themselves on the culture of these groups, but also so they can better understand the show as a whole.

With all of this in mind, one of the most beautiful facets of this show is its universality. You can take Our Town and adapt it to any area at any time and the message stays the same.

Marriage Traditions

Marriage and marriage traditions have also come a long way since the time this play was written. Wilder makes several nods to how marriage was viewed in the early 1900s, which can be a foreign idea for some readers/viewers. It is important to understand these differences so that the entire scope of the show makes sense.

In the early 1900s, arranged marriage was quickly being phased out, instead being replaced by courtship. This was a process when the man would show up at the home of the woman and hope to be invited into the parlor for their first date. Usually, there was a parent around to chaperone. If this first date went well, the couple would attend events to get to know each other a bit more before officially getting married. It was encouraged that men find partners to satisfy their need for companionship and to take care of the house and kids, while women were encouraged to marry rich to ensure their own financial security. At this time, couples were rarely urged to marry on the basis of love or romance.

Throughout the 1910's, World War I was a massive factor in romantic relationships and marriage. Due to the war, many men were in Britain fighting. Despite the physical distance, romance blossomed through letters. The women who stayed home wrote letters to soldiers, building relationships with the soldiers. Shortly after the men returned home, they would marry the woman they corresponded with, often times having never met the woman. This was referred to as a "hasty war wedding."

Though this play doesn't extend into the 1920s, it is vital to mention that this was the beginning of the women's rights movement. This was when women were granted the right to vote and began to expect their husbands view them as equals instead of property. During this time, women were allowed more freedom to get to know the men they were dating.

Women's Rights

Throughout the 1800s, society had a very defined role for women throughout their life. The expectation was for women to stay home and clean the house, take care of the kids, cook all meals, keep up with appearances, and generally just obey her husband's every command. In the early 1900s, female trailblazers began to emerge, advocating for women's rights. Soon enough, more and more women were stepping forward to point out the inequity within these beliefs.

Margaret Sanger was a prime example of one of these advocates. Sanger believed family size and use of birth control should be a decision made women. This belief empowered women to stand up for what they wanted or believed in, something very uncommon at the time. Sanger went on to open a birth control clinic in Brooklyn, which resulted in her arrest, though she was later released on bail. She founded the American Birth Control League, which later became known as the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Another massive advancement for women's rights was the right to vote. By 1896, only four states had granted women the right to vote; Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. This meant women were still very tethered to men. Susan B. Anthony was a strong advocate for women's rights, and fought ardently for women across the United States. She combined two of the largest suffrage associations into one, the National American Women's Suffrage Association. Throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, she traveled around the United States giving speeches to encourage young women to fight for their right to vote. Unfortunately, she died in 1906, 14 years before the 19th amendment was passed.

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