Our Town

26/06/2005

 The book ``OUR TOWN'', by Thornton Wilder, is a very good play. However, there are a few things in it that I can not agree with. But first, let me give you a bit of background on OUR TOWN. 

Our Town takes place in Grovers Corners, New Hampshire. In the first scene, ``DAILY LIFE'', the stage manager gives a lot of information on the town, and introduces the most of the major characters; Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs, Mr. and Mrs. Webb, George Gibbs, Rebecca Gibbs, Emily Webb, Wally Webb, Howie Newsome, Constable Warren, Joe Crowell, to name a few. 


In the second scene, ``LOVE AND MARRIAGE'', George and Emily are getting married. The stage manager also shows a bit of the start of their relationship. 


The third scene, ``LIFE AND DEATH'' is the one I'll be discussing. Although it is very moving, it has some serious doctrinal errors. Mainly, it has all the dead people sitting there, talking to each other. However, the Bible plainly states ``For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward: for the memory of them is forgotten''1. In the book, however, they definitely know things. Emily goes back in her memories to relive part of her life. This is obviously not what the Bible teaches. 


The Bible goes on the say ``Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for every in any thing that is under the sun''2. However, in OUR TOWN, it's quite obvious that Emily still loves George and her children. 


Most people think that there's nothing wrong with this. Most churches say that the dead go straight to Heaven, so the idea of dead people walking around is nothing new to them. Just because that's what they are taught doesn't make it true, though. The Bible is very clear on the fact that dead people are, in fact, dead, and not up in heaven. 


In conclusion, OUR TOWN is mostly a very good book; however, I can not agree with some the doctrines portrayed in it.