Compare And Contrast Local Milkman And Howie In Our Town

Almost none of the characters in the play, Our Town, are generally psychologically complex. Wilder created his characters as conventional as possible to help the audience relate to the play and to the characters. Two comic characters in the play are Howie Newsome and Mrs. Soames. Howie Newsome is Grover’s Corners’ local milkman. Every morning, or at the beginning of Act I and Act II, Howie delivers milk to the Gibbs and the Webb families. He takes the time out of his job to converse with the townspeople about the weather and about their lives in general. In his first appearance, Howie encounters Dr. Gibbs and asks Dr. Gibbs about the well being of his patients. Howie Newsome takes interest in the lives of the townspeople and is amazed at

For example in Act I, the discussion between Howie Newsome and Dr. Gibbs about the delivery of the twins establishes the themes of life and daily activity. In Act II, Howie is seen discussing with Si Crowell about George Gibbs’ retirement from baseball; this event alludes to George and Emily’s wedding. Unlike Si Crowell, Howie does not seem to be too disappointed in George’s retirement. Instead, Howie expresses his contentment to the wedding. Howie’s delight regarding the wedding supports the idea of his caring personality. Howie’s reappearances symbolize the constancy and stability of small town life and human life in

Soames is still seen full of interest regarding the lives of those around her. She does not dwell on the misfortunes, but instead focuses on the positive aspects of life (“My, wasn’t life awful- and wonderful.” Act III). Mrs. Soames recalls Emily’s accomplishments, such as her wedding and graduation. When Emily insists on returning to the world of the living, Mrs. Soames advises her against it, as she knows that Emily will be disappointed and hurt. Although Mrs. Soames appears to be engrossed in the gossip of Grover’s Corners, she can still be seen as a caring person. She provides a sense of the interconnection among the lives of the townspeople of Grover’s Corners.
Despite the many good-natured characters, Wilder does not deny the fact that the town suffers from social disturbances. His intention is not to idealize Grover’s Corners as an image of enduring kindness. Instead Wilder makes an effort to create characters who condemn small town life. By doing so Wilder emphasizes the imperfection that is found among every