Unlike Thornton Wilder's portrayal in Our Town, some other American authors depicted village life less favorably. Consider the poems of Edgar Lee Masters and Edwin Arlington Robinson, the short stories by Sherwood Anderson, and the novels of Sinclair Lewis for alternative perspectives on small-town American life.

Explore the Progressive Movement in American politics at the turn of the 20th century. Examine the connections between the Progressives and the Women's Suffrage Movement. During the 19th century, many small towns in New Hampshire were bustling manufacturing hubs.

Investigate what life might have been like for an average 16-year-old in one of these towns at the turn of the century.

Some critics argue that Wilder's portrayal of life in early 20th-century America is overly simplistic, presenting an idealized society that never truly existed. What do you think Wilder's reasons were for creating such an idealized town?