To Live Happier is to Grasp the Meaning of Life‖: Thornton Wilder’s Philosophy of Life in Our Town

Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) is one of the most acclaimed American dramatists in the twentieth century. His plays are characterized by in-depth analysis of the American reality at that time. This research is an attempt to cast light on Thornton Wilder’s philosophy which affirms that one can lead a very happy life if the meaning of life is well-understood. In Our Town (1938) Wilder embodies such a philosophical conception in the framework of a family institution in the Great Depression of the 1930s. The play emphasizes the fact that there are many ways in which happiness can be achieved. Such a philosophy springs from the fact that Wilder found the American community breaking into pieces, believing that the main task of the artist resides in the attempt to diagnose the social problems and to inseminate the spirit of optimism, hope, and patience.