In the play Our Town, Wilder paints a picture of a true community by showing in the play how a true community. Through the passages i’ve read, Solitude by Deresiewicz and Bowling Alone by Putnam and also the play Our Town by Wilder, there was an argument of social trust and solitude. The passages and book has very good evidence on why the authors think a certain way of the matter solitude and social trust. Our Town shows lots of socializing, people in the town are good people.
Solitude is about being alone. But in today’s society it’s hard for it to exist because of social media. In the passages Ending Solitude and Bowling Alone they show technological advances and how the change people. The technology keeps people away from the community. There is little to no privacy because everything is out there.
The definition of a true community is a celebration of human differences and the profound healing, communication, love and creation that comes from living in such an environment.
The play “Our Town” by Thorton Wilder, is about the small town of Grover’s Corner and the individuals who live there and the traditions they live by. The article “The End of Solitude” by William Deresiewicz, shows how solitude is slowly fading away and how individuals are turning to technology to no longer feel alone. The study “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital” conducted by Robert D. Putnam, focuses on America and how the country needs more groups and social togetherness.
The community of Grover’s Corner in “Our Town” is not a true community compared to the ideas from “Bowling Alone” and “The End of Solitude” as a community.
The play “Our Town” by Thorton Wilder, tells about a small town and how the traditions have taken over the past and nobody is expected to be an individual. The people who live in Grover’s Corner stay within the community. It’s a very ordinary town. The young couple, George and Emily, are expected to get married right after high school and they have second thoughts on their wedding day. “Ma, I don’t want to grow old. Why’s everybody pushing me so?” The town expects George to grow up faster then he wants and he wants to be himself. He wants to be an individual instead of being like the rest of the community. “It’s July 7th, just after High School Commencement. That’s the time most of our young people jump up and get married….looks like they suddenly feel themselves fit to be married.” The stage manager is saying that it is expected for young adults to get married early and that since it’s“tradition” Emily and George are already engaged. In the Grover’s Corner the community is trying to take away a person’s decision to be an individual.
The article “The End of Solitude” by William Deresiewicz, is about how solitude became a virtue. Being seen validates us. His view of technology is its taking away solitude and you cannot be lonely with social media. “Boredom is not a necessary consequence of having nothing to do, it is only the negative experience of that state.” Boredom can make you feel lonely, and people turn to technology when they are bored. Solitude can be taken as rude and stuck up sometimes. “Solitude isn’t easy and isn’t for every….and whatever else happens, one cans till always do that.” Some people can’t be alone and need somebody to be with. Loneliness can make certain people feel worthless.
In that study “Bowling Alone” by Robert D. Putnam, Social trust is when a group trust each other. Social trust leads to social capital which leads to a stronger community. “The social contract binding members together asserts only the weakest of obligations.” The country needs more social togetherness and people need to talk more. “The theory of social capital argues that associational membership should, for example, increase social trust..” He prefers that individuals to come together as a community because of the rapid decrease in national organizations.
All three of these text, shows different versions of communities and individuals. In conclusion, Wilder does not paint the picture of a true community because, after reading a community is built of individuals but “Our Town” is ran by traditions and what others think. Communities today are like Grover’s Corner, the community influences people to do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do. The definition of community is a familiar thread used to bring people together to advocate and support each other in the fight to overcome those threats. Some communities break individuals to the point that they feel they need to be apart of the community instead of their own person. Communities and individualism are two different things, the community of Grover’s Corner in “Our Town” is not a true community compared to the ideas from “Bowling Alone” and “The End of Solitude” as a community.
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