Historical Context
Wilder started writing The Skin of Our Teeth in 1940, amid significant political and cultural shifts. As the 1930s ended, Americans were transitioning into an increasingly urban and secular society where economic forces overshadowed moral values, and psychology began to replace religion. Sigmund Freud, a German psychologist, argued that the unconscious mind had a profound impact on human behavior, greatly influencing the art of the time. Visual art movements like surrealism emerged as artists sought to transcend traditional aesthetic norms, believing these norms inadequately represented the creative depths of the human subconscious. Many writers and musicians also engaged in similar experiments in the following decades, modifying traditional forms to better express human consciousness and experience.
While open to cultural influences from abroad, America maintained a policy of political isolationism throughout the 1930s. In Europe, Adolf Hitler's forces attacked Poland in September 1939, launching World War II. The United States remained out of the conflict even as Germany continued its aggression, invading Norway, Denmark, and France during the spring and summer of 1940. As the situation deteriorated, President Franklin Roosevelt urged Congress to pass the American Lend-Lease Act in March 1941, which provided funds and supplies to the Allied nations (England, France, and Russia) fighting against Germany. However, the U.S. did not officially join the war until after the Japanese air assault on the U.S. naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. This attack, followed by Germany's declaration of war against the U.S. on December 11, ended any possibility of further isolationism.
By the time Wilder completed his play in January 1942, the United States had joined the Allied forces and was actively participating in a global conflict. Battles were occurring in Africa, Europe, and the Pacific, with only four countries remaining neutral (Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland). In early 1942, the outlook seemed grim for the Allies, but three pivotal battles that year would change the war's trajectory. In February, the grueling six-month battle for Stalingrad in Russia concluded with Russian forces outlasting the demoralized German invaders. In June, the battle of Midway Island significantly weakened the Japanese fleet. By November, the British victory at El Alamein shifted the momentum in Africa. Meanwhile, American forces were gradually gaining control in the Atlantic.
At home, Americans were closely monitoring these military events and contributing to the war effort. Domestic industrial plants began transitioning from producing consumer goods to manufacturing war supplies; rubber and gasoline were rationed, and families were encouraged to grow their own food in "Victory Gardens." Audiences who attended the initial production of The Skin of Our Teeth—though not experiencing the same hardships and starvation as those in Europe—could still connect with the themes of war-induced sacrifice and destruction portrayed in Wilder's play.
Literary Style
Allegory
An allegory is a story where characters and events hold both literal and symbolic meanings. In The Skin of Our Teeth, the Antrobuses can be seen as an average middle-class American family and as symbolic figures like Adam and Eve, representing humanity's ancestors. The play's events can be interpreted as the literal adventures of a family and as an allegorical tale of human history. Wilder underscores the allegorical aspect of his play through character names, such as Henry (also known as Cain) and Sabina, along with direct narrative comments.
Anti-Illusion Theater
Anti-Illusion theater was developed by German playwright Bertolt Brecht, known for The Threepenny Opera. Brecht believed audiences should be aware of the performance's physical aspects and not fall into the illusion that the stage events are real. In a similar fashion to Brecht and Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello, noted for Six Characters in Search...
(This entire section contains 660 words.)
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of an Author, Wilder employs techniques to disrupt the theatrical illusion. By having actors break character, discuss their lines, and directly address the audience, as well as bringing backstage figures to the forefront, he highlights the effort involved in staging a play. This encourages the audience to consider how and why stories are told in specific ways. Wilder engages in meta-theater, creating a play that reflects on its own creation. "Meta" refers to any self-referential creative work, with metafiction, exemplified by John Barth's writings, being a well-known example.
Characterization
Wilder doesn't aim to depict complex, multi-dimensional characters in The Skin of Our Teeth. Instead, he presents each character as a generalized type. Each character is easily associated with an archetypal role—the nurturing mother (Mrs. Antrobus), the temptress (Sabina), the provider (Mr. Antrobus)—and displays the traits typically linked to these roles. These straightforward characterizations, coupled with the technique of actors interrupting the action to comment on the play's nature, prevent the audience from identifying with the characters and dispel the illusion that the Antrobuses are "real" people. Interestingly, while the "actors" playing these roles break character and engage with the audience—appearing as real individuals—they are themselves fictional constructs for the purpose of anti-illusion theater. Miss Somerset may seem more genuine than Sabina, yet she is another character crafted by Wilder. The playwright's aim is not to provide the...
Farce
Wilder's play incorporates numerous elements of farce—a comedic theatrical style known for its exaggerated characters, unlikely scenarios, and physical comedy. Sabina's role as the flirtatious, inept, witty maid is a classic figure in farce. Similarly, absurd images like a pet dinosaur lounging by the family hearth are typical of farcical staging. Additional farcical aspects include Henry's aggressive nature (he is continually cautioned against engaging in violent behavior) and Gladys's nymphomania (in the first act, her mother scolds her to lower her skirt, presumably to entice men for sexual encounters).
Juxtaposition
Throughout the play, Wilder contrasts the modern with the ancient, the significant with the trivial, and the serious with the absurd. These comically opposing images and concepts generate humor while highlighting both the grandeur and ridiculousness of humanity. A prime example is Mr. Antrobus's dual role as an inventor and a learned individual. At the play's start, a newsreel reveals that George Antrobus has recently invented the wheel and the alphabet, despite living in a society that has long been familiar with such foundational inventions.
Wilder challenges the audience's perception of linear time by setting his play in both historical epochs and 1940s New Jersey simultaneously. The three acts occur during the Ice Age, the Great Flood, and the Napoleonic Wars, yet the characters behave and dress as twentieth-century Americans. The concept of time is further complicated by the Antrobus family's apparent timelessness (they have been married for 5,000 years) and the repetitive cycle of events (the play concludes where it began). This manipulation of time underscores the play's theme of humanity's resilience through the ages and supports Wilder's intent to remind the audience of the fictional nature of the theatrical events.
Compare and Contrast
1942: German leader Adolf Hitler initiates the systematic extermination of millions of European Jews, referring to this atrocity as the "final solution." History will remember these events as the Holocaust. In July, Parisian police, under the direction of the occupying German forces, round up 30,000 Jews and deport them to German concentration camps, where all but thirty perish.
Today: On September 30, 1997, Roman Catholic bishops in France issue the Church's first public apology to the Jewish community for its silence during France's involvement in the Holocaust. Earlier that year, the French medical association and police also issued similar apologies. Meanwhile, in Switzerland, the government finally addresses years of protests by establishing a fund to compensate survivors and families of Holocaust victims whose bank accounts and assets were retained by Swiss banks after World War II.
1942: German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun launches the world's first surface-to-surface guided missile.
Today: Advanced guided missiles, like those used in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, are crucial in modern warfare. The U.S. military's arsenal includes computer-guided missiles, such as the Tomahawk cruise missile.
1942: Congress creates the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) and the Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES), officially integrating women into the United States armed forces, albeit in a limited capacity.
Today: Women serve actively in all branches of the U.S. military. In the Army, for instance, women make up 14% of the personnel, totaling 69,000 female soldiers. However, they remain barred from numerous combat roles and the senior leadership positions that combat experience often provides. Ongoing debates about women's equal participation in combat, alongside reports of sexual misconduct and harassment on military bases in the late 1990s, continue to spark discussions about women's roles in the military.
1942: The government encourages Americans to cultivate vegetables in "Victory Gardens" to help mitigate wartime food shortages. In 1942, these gardens produce 40% of the nation's vegetables, but this percentage declines in subsequent years as public interest diminishes.
Today: Agriculture in the United States has become a major industry, and the country boasts the world's largest food surplus. The U.S. exports twice as much food as it imports. Although some Americans still grow their own food, it is more of a hobby than an economic necessity.
1942: Oxford University scholar Gilbert Murray establishes the organization Oxfam to combat global famine. Millions of Europeans in German-occupied territories like Greece, Poland, and Yugoslavia suffer from starvation as the war disrupts food supplies.
Today: Oxfam International has evolved into a network of ten Oxfam agencies conducting projects in over one hundred countries. Founded in 1970, Oxfam America fights against global poverty, hunger, and social injustice both in the United States and internationally, including in countries like North Korea, where over 100,000 people died of starvation in 1996.
Setting
Excelsior, a fictional city in New Jersey, serves as the backdrop for Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth," encapsulating themes of resilience and peril. The Antrobus family—the mother, daughter, son, maid, and their assorted pets—awaits the return of the patriarch from his office. The city's name, suggesting ambition and progress, contrasts sharply with the impending Ice Age that threatens their suburban existence. Mrs. Antrobus scolds Sabina, the maid, for neglecting the fire, a crucial defense against the encroaching cold. Mr. Antrobus returns, not alone, but with a group of refugees including historical and mythical figures such as Moses, Homer, and some of the Muses, whose talents he deems worthy of preservation. As the living room fills, a baby dinosaur and a small mammoth are expelled into the freezing wilderness, highlighting nature's indifference and humanity's struggle to survive.
In parallel, the Antrobus son, Henry, reveals a darker familial legacy when it is discovered he is also known as Cain. The narrative intertwines the personal and universal battle against natural and human adversities. Sabina breaks the fourth wall, involving the audience by asking for their chairs to feed the dwindling fire, further emphasizing the collective struggle against the icy threat.
Transitioning to Atlantic City, another New Jersey locale, Wilder portrays a familiar cultural tableau—the Boardwalk, ocean, and beauty contests. Here, the setting becomes a microcosm of civilization's trivial pursuits and superficial glories. A fortune-teller's tent becomes a focal point, symbolizing the unpredictability of survival. Sabina, now a beauty pageant winner, seeks counsel from the gypsy about tempting George Antrobus, who is present as a convention attendee. The gypsy's ominous prophecy of rain and destruction underscores nature's perpetual threat. The Boardwalk, a symbol of leisure, transforms into a departure point for a modern ark as storm warnings prompt a hurried exodus of the family and pairs of animals, evoking the narrative of Noah. The rising waters signify the fragile boundary between order and chaos.
After surviving the deluge, the Antrobus family and Sabina reappear amid the ruins of their Excelsior home. The remnants of their house stand precariously, with distant fires casting an ominous glow. Emerging from a trapdoor, the daughter cradles a baby, while Henry, now an identifiable threat, stumbles into the battered home, echoing a cycle of forgiveness and conflict. The scene evolves as actors traverse an arched path, reciting wisdom, suggesting continuity amidst destruction. Following a blackout, the lights return to reveal Sabina repeating her opening lines from the first act in a restored house, signaling the perpetual cycle of renewal and endurance that defines human existence.
Media Adaptations
In 1950, Decca Records released the American National Theater and Academy (ANTA) Album of Stars: Great Moments of Great Plays Volume I. This collection featured audio recordings from The Skin of Our Teeth, performed by Frederic March, Florence Eldridge, and Alan Hewitt.
On September 11, 1955, NBC broadcasted a televised version of The Skin of Our Teeth with Helen Hayes, Mary Martin, and George Abbott in the leading roles.
In March 1959, a live broadcast of The Skin of Our Teeth starring Vivien Leigh aired in London.
In 1968, WETA-TV in Washington, D.C., showcased "Armchair Theater: The Skin of Our Teeth" as the twelfth episode of its One to One television series. Produced by Cherrill Anson and directed by David Powell, this episode, available on video, features excerpts from the play performed by Jack Burn, Mary Lou Groom, Judy Margolis, and Ruth Mintz, followed by a discussion.
A video recording of the play was created in 1975 by the Kennedy Center and Xerox Corporation as part of the American Bicentennial Theater series. This teleplay, adapted by Douglas Scott, featured set design by Robert Kelsey.
In 1979, the Sydney A.B.C. company produced an audio recording of the play as part of its World Theater series.
In January 1983, PBS produced a live rendition of the play for the "American Playhouse" series, directed by Jack O'Brien.
A recorded production from May 19, 1988, is available on video through Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN.
The Readings for the Blind series from Southfield, Michigan, released a sound recording of Three Plays by Thornton Wilder in 1994.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Adler, Thomas P. "Theater Looking at Theater: A Self-Image of Post-World War II American Drama" in Claudel Studies, Volume 9, Number 1, 1982, pp. 31, 40.
Atkinson, Brooks. "The Skin of Our Teeth—Thornton Wilder Writes a Wise and Frisky Comedy about People" in the New York Times, November 22, 1942, Section 8, p. 1.
Cheney, Sheldon. The Theatre: Three Thousand Years of Drama, Acting, and Stagecraft, Longmans, Green, 1952, p. 570.
Dusenbury, Winifred. "Myth in American Drama between the Wars" in Modern Drama, Volume 6, 1963, p. 298.
Freedley, George. "The Stage Today" in the New York Morning Telegraph, November 20, 1942, p. 2.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Birth of Tragedy and the Genealogy of Morals, Doubleday, 1956, p. 106.
Whiting, Frank M. An Introduction to the Theatre, Harper & Brothers, 1954, p. 106.
Wilder, Thornton. The Journals of Thornton Wilder, 1939-1961, Yale University Press, 1985, pp. 22, 24, 37.
Wilder, Thornton. Preface to Three Plays, Harper & Row, 1957, pp. viii, xi-xiv.
Wilder, Thornton. "Some Thoughts on Playwriting" in Playwrights on Playwriting, edited by Toby Cole, Hill and Wang, 1960, p. 108.
Willett, John, Editor. Brecht on Theatre, Hill and Wang, 1964, p. 212.
Further Reading
Bigsby, C. W. E. A Critical Introduction to Twentieth-Century American Drama; Volume One, 1900-1940, Cambridge University Press, 1982. This book provides a comprehensive overview of American theater before World War II, dedicating an entire chapter to Wilder.
Blank, Martin, Editor. Critical Essays on Thornton Wilder, G.K. Hall, 1996. This recent collection provides insightful articles on Wilder's work.
Harrison, Gilbert A. The Enthusiast: A Life of Thornton Wilder, Ticknor and Fields, 1983. This biography uses Wilder's papers from Yale University's Beinecke Library, featuring many excerpts from unpublished journals and notebooks that shed light on Wilder's complex personal life.
Walsh, Claudette. Thornton Wilder: A Reference Guide, 1926-1990, G.K. Hall, 1993. This annotated bibliography is an essential resource for anyone researching Wilder's writings, offering a comprehensive list of works by and about him.
