The Skin of Our Teeth
The Skin of Our Teeth, by Thornton Wilder, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play known for its experimental nonrealism1 and its deep philosophical content. It debuted on Broadway on November 18, 1942. Wilder's creation is a highly original one that rejects contemporary means of expression2 and all its cliches in favor of the less conventional. Its complexity and its uniqueness can be seen through its benevolent themes, its absurd style, its prevalent symbolism, and its intentionally unclear setting. There are three focal themes in The Skin of Our Teeth: the human condition, continuity of the nuclear family, and religion. Wilder's interest in the human condition was strongly influenced by his archaeological studies in Rome3. Wilder shows that humans are good, and the human condition is noble, although absurd, and worth preserving4. The theme of the human condition is shown in the title, for "no matter how hard pressed or frightened, the human race has power to survive its great adventure in a world where physical nature and its own internal conflicts pose endless threats." 5 The theme of the continuity of the nuclear family goes well with the concept of the human condition. Throughout the play, no matter the circumst
Yet the setting is intentionally unclear. Antrobus in a near-future devastating war, the Antrobuses realize the sanctity of the nuclear family and drive on. There is also many fantastic elements such as talking dinosaurs and chair-pushers that make the setting impossible to tell. This helps Wilder's unconventional style, and helps focus the audience member on the truly important issues, such as the theme or the symbols. For it is not about survival, "it is a play about an audience looking at a play about survival. "14 In Act I, there is an ice age and Mr. He symbolizes Cain in Act I and Oedipus in Act III. There are many biblical references, and yet it is "not more Christian than Unitarianism or Ethical Culture"6 as Wilder does not take sides. Religion is suggested so many times throughout the play that it is impossible to overlook. which insists the Roman in his toga is simply a bourgeois citizen wearing a sheet, and that Neanderthal man with his bear-skin and club is at heart an insurance salesman at a fancy-dress ball. There are also many evolutionary and non-Christian religious references.
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Acceptance Essays
