We've Come Through It Again: The Skin of Our Teeth, the Myth of Sisyphus, and Thornton Wilder's American Existentialism

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2022

Department 1

Philosophy

Department 2

Theatre Arts

Abstract

While previous scholars have connected Wilder’s works to “orthodox” existentialism, a close analysis of Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus and Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, both published in 1942, and of Wilder’s relationship to existentialist thought, reveals a more complicated correlation. Whereas Camus’ “orthodox” existentialism stems from the cynicism of post-World War I Europe, Wilder’s version, what we term “American existentialism,” differs in seeking meaning through a collective, progressive, and hopeful worldview.

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