In Our Town, the abuse of alcohol is used to illuminate the dark side of small town life. Other than a brief attempt by Mr. Webb, no one reaches out to Simon Stimson (the town drunk). Instead, Simon’s antics are a source of gossip for the town. His presence in the play serves to show that not everything is peachy in Grover’s Corners.
Questions About Drugs and Alcohol
- Is alcohol viewed in a positive or negative light in Our Town?
- What is the effect of having the town drunk be a character? Of him being the church choir director?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Simon Stimson’s problem with alcohol shows that even small towns are not utopias.