The Skin of Our Teeth

Imagine that you are involved in reviving the play for a contemporary audience. How would you make connections to the current world? What is particularly relevant? What hasn’t aged well and might need revision? What do you think audiences need to know to understand the play?

Choose one of the characters from the main family (which includes Sabina) and follow their actions and journey throughout the play. What is their significance in the world of the play? To the other characters? How do they grow or fail to grow? Cite evidence from the text to support your response.

The play is metatheatrical, which means that it breaks the illusion to remind audiences that they are watching a play. What do you think is the purpose of Wilder’s use of metatheatricality? How does it affect meaning in the play? Use examples of metatheatricality in the play to make your argument.

How would you describe Wilder’s use of religious allusion throughout the play? What do you think he is saying about religion and religious thought? Be specific and cite evidence from the text.

Research the historical moment in which the play premiered in the United States in 1942. How does the play speak to wartime audiences? How does it compare to other plays that opened on Broadway at the same time?

Revisit the play and find examples of moments when the play references America. How does the play formulate notions of the American family, national identity, and the American Dream? What, according to the play, does it mean to be a good American?

Although the play is about an American family, it was popular in Europe after World War II. Why do you think it played successfully in other countries? What elements of the narrative and its message do you think have a more universal or global appeal? In particular, research the climate in Germany after the war, and consider why it might have been so well-received there.

One of the most prominent images in the play is the color red. Trace the use of red throughout the text. What does it signify? Which characters are most associated with the color? What purpose does it serve as a symbol? Cite specific examples from the play.