| Acknowledgements | 第1-6页 |
| ABSTRACT | 第6-8页 |
| 中文摘要 | 第8-12页 |
| INTRODUCTION | 第12-21页 |
| 1 Thornton Wilder and His Dramatic Career | 第12-15页 |
| 2 Literature Review: Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth | 第15-17页 |
| 3 Thornton Wilder and Christian Humanism | 第17-19页 |
| 4 The Layout of the Thesis | 第19-21页 |
| CHAPTER ONE Our Town as a Myth Celebrating Life | 第21-34页 |
| 1. The Mythic Rituals of Daily Life | 第22-29页 |
| Eternal Rhythms of Life | 第22-24页 |
| Universal Rite Uniting Physical Nature and Human Nature | 第24-27页 |
| The Apotheosis of Life | 第27-29页 |
| 2. The Mythic Symbols in Our Town | 第29-32页 |
| “Grover’s Corners” | 第29-31页 |
| “Blessed be the ties that bind”and “the time capsule” | 第31-32页 |
| 3. The Cyclical Life-Rituals of Mankind | 第32-34页 |
| CHAPTER TWO The Skin of Our Teeth as an Allegory Justifying Life | 第34-44页 |
| 1. Allegorical Plot of Mankind’s Struggle for Survival | 第35-40页 |
| Man Against Nature | 第36-37页 |
| Man Against the Moral Order | 第37-39页 |
| Man Against Himself | 第39-40页 |
| 2. Allegorical Characters in The Skin of Our Teeth | 第40-42页 |
| Allegorical Adults | 第40-42页 |
| Allegorical Children | 第42页 |
| 3. Allegorical Meaning of a Typical American Family | 第42-44页 |
| CHAPTER THREE Wilder’s Anti-Illusionary Concept of Drama | 第44-54页 |
| 1 “Addressed to the group mind” | 第45-48页 |
| The Narrative Stage Manager in Our Town | 第45-47页 |
| The Play About the Play in The Skin of Our Teeth | 第47-48页 |
| 2 “A world of pretense” | 第48-51页 |
| Minimalist Stage and pantomime | 第48-49页 |
| Fictitious Performance of Collaborators Onstage and Offstage | 第49-51页 |
| 3 “Pure existing” | 第51-54页 |
| Eternal Present | 第51-52页 |
| Illustrative Episodes | 第52-54页 |
| CONCLUSION | 第54-59页 |
| Works Cited | 第59-61页 |
