78 pages 2 hours read

Thornton Wilder

Our Town

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1938

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Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Act I

Reading Check

1. What are the names of the Webb children?

2. What does Rebecca love most?

3. What problem does Simon Stimson exhibit?

4. How did Mrs. Gibbs die?

5. What is the town’s predominant religion?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How did Joe die, and what made his death tragic?

2. What does Mrs. Gibbs tell Mrs. Webb about in the garden?

3. What methods does George use to hint that he is interested in Emily?

4. How does the Stage Manager poke fun at the need for stage props in a play?

5. What evidence is given to demonstrate Doc Gibbs’s importance as a town figure?

Paired Resource

Women in Nineteenth-Century America

  • This article describes the significant changes in religion, economy, and women’s roles and rights in early 1900s America.
  • This connects to the theme The Importance of Love and Family in its exploration of women’s roles as homemakers during this time.
  • How does Act I of Our Town depict traditional female roles in 1900s America?