Concetti Chiave
- Thornton Wilder, an influential playwright and novelist, was known for his works focused on people over ideas and his experimental, stylized techniques.
- His literary achievements, including winning the Pulitzer Prize, showcase his dual nature as both a dreamer and realist.
- Born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1897, Wilder's early life included international experiences due to his father's diplomatic career.
- Wilder pursued extensive academic studies, graduating from Yale and obtaining an M.A. from Princeton, while also studying archaeology in Rome.
- He served in the US Army during World War II, attaining the rank of Colonel, before dedicating his life entirely to literature following his military and academic careers.
Who is an influential playwright and novelist?
Both novelist and playwright, he was never influenced by the American literary currents of the time. His works, mainly concerned with people rather than ideas, are the product of a dreamer and a realist at the same time. In his plays he experimented with new stylized techniques, eventually winning the Pulitzer Prize to his sensibility and art.
Thornton Wilder was born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1897. When he was nine years the family (Thornton had an elder brother and three sisters) moved to Hong Kong where his father had has been appointed Counsel - General.
Academic and military career
After six months his mother returned with the children to the United States, but the family rejoined again in 1911 in Shanghai, where his father had been transferred. Wilder stayed in China for a year. He subsequently studied in California and graduated from Yale in 1920. In the following year he studied Archaeology at the American Academy in Rome. In 1925 he took an M.A degree at Princeton University. From 1930 to 1936 he taught literature and writing at the University of Chicago and was professor of poetry at Harvard in 1950-51. During World War II he served in the US Army Air Intelligence Service in North Africa and Italy, leaving in 1945 with the rank of Colonel (he had already served in the coast artillery during World War II). He then returned to America, left his academic career and devoted the rest of his life to literature. He died in 1975.
Domande da interrogazione
- Who was Thornton Wilder and what were his contributions to literature?
- What was Thornton Wilder's educational and professional background?
- How did Thornton Wilder's military service influence his career?
Thornton Wilder was an influential playwright and novelist known for his works that focused on people rather than ideas. He experimented with new stylized techniques in his plays and won the Pulitzer Prize for his sensibility and art.
Thornton Wilder graduated from Yale in 1920, studied Archaeology at the American Academy in Rome, and earned an M.A. from Princeton University in 1925. He taught literature and writing at the University of Chicago and was a professor of poetry at Harvard.
During World War II, Thornton Wilder served in the US Army Air Intelligence Service in North Africa and Italy, achieving the rank of Colonel. After the war, he left his academic career to focus entirely on literature, which he pursued until his death in 1975.
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