Home / Authors / Thornton Wilder

Thornton Wilder Quotes

Playwright

American playwright, renowned for his works 'Our Town' and 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'. His works are characterized by deep insight and a unique style, profoundly influencing 20th-century American theater.

Filter quotes by topic

All Our Town World Knows Life Love People Humans Children Earth Men Doe Ifs Theater Thornton Wilder Human Beings Moments Self Thinking Way Years

Famous Thornton Wilder Quotes

“The future is the most expensive luxury in the world.”

World Luxury Expensive

Book:Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Matchmaker

Source: Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Matchmaker

“How do you know what the world is like? Do you know the world is a foul sty? Do you know if you rip the fronts off houses you'd find swine? The world's a hell. What does it matter what happens in it?”

Ifs Knows World Doe Matter Happens Hate House Hell Doubt Fronts Do You Know Rip Foul Does It Matter Swine

Author:Thornton Wilder

“The stuff of which masterpieces are made drifts about the world waiting to be clothed in words.”

World Made Stuff Waiting Masterpiece

Book:The Collected Short Plays of Thornton Wilder, Volume T

Source: The Collected Short Plays of Thornton Wilder, Volume T

“Ninety-nine percent of the people in the world are fools and the rest of us are in great danger of contagion.”

People World Funny Society Danger Fool Percent Nine Insane Insanity Ninety Ninety Nine Contagion Insanity And Sanity

Author:Thornton Wilder

“Every good thing in the world stands on the razor-edge of danger.”

World Danger Good Things Edges Razors

Book:Twayne's United States Authors Series

Source: Twayne's United States Authors Series

“It is very necessary to have markers of beauty left in a world seemingly bent on making the most evil ugliness.”

World Evil Left Beauty Bent Ugliness Markers

Author:Thornton Wilder

“Good-by, Good-by, world. Good-by, Grover's Corners... Mama and Papa. Good-by to clocks ticking... and Mama's sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths...and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you.”

Source: Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Matchmaker

“[Dona Maria] saw that the people of this world moved about in an armor of egotism, drunk with self-gazing, athirst for compliments, hearing little of what was said to them, unmoved by the accidents that befell their closest friends, in dread of all appeals that might interrupt their long communion with their own desires.”

Source: The Bridge of San Luis Rey: A Novel

“[Camila] was quite incapable of establishing any harmony between the claims of her art, of her appetites, or her dreams, and of her crowded daily routine. Each of these was a world in itself.”

World Art Dream Claims Harmony Routine Appetite Incapable Crowded Daily Routines

Book:Twayne's United States Authors Series

Source: Twayne's United States Authors Series

“the whole purport of literature...is the notation of the heart. Style is but the faintly contemptible vessel in which the bitter liquid is recommended to the world.”

World Heart Whole Literature Style Bitter Vessel Liquid

Author:Thornton Wilder

“There is nothing like eavesdropping to show you that the world outside your head is different from the world inside your head.”

World Different Shows Truth Honesty Eavesdropping

Book:Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Matchmaker

Source: Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Matchmaker

“I've never forgotten for long at a time that living is struggle. I know that every good and excellent thing in the world stands moment by moment on the razor-edge of danger and must be fought for - whether it's a field, or a home, or a country.”

Knows World Life Long Country Moments Home Struggle Danger Fields Very Good Forgotten Edges Excellent Razors

Author:Thornton Wilder

“Everybody's talking about people breaking into houses but there are more people in the world who want to break out of houses.”

People World Want House Talking Break Perspective Break Out

Book:Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Matchmaker

Source: Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Matchmaker

“The difference between a little money and no money at all is enormous-and can shatter the world. And the difference between a little money and an enormous amount of money is very slight-and that, also, can shatter the world.”

World Littles Differences Money Amount Enormous No Money Little Money

Book:Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Matchmaker

Source: Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Matchmaker

About the Author

Born: April 17, 1897
Died: December 7, 1975
Known for: Playwright
Quotes: 174

Books & Sources

The Bridge of San Luis ReyRelated source material

The ides of MarchRelated source material

Conversations with Thornton WilderRelated source material

The Bridge of San Luis Rey and Other Novels, 1926-1948Related source material

Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The MatchmakerRelated source material

The Bridge of San Luis Rey: A NovelRelated source material

Our TownRelated source material

Our town: a play in three actsRelated source material

A Thornton Wilder Trio: The Cabala, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, The Woman of AndrosRelated source material

The Collected Short Plays of Thornton Wilder, Volume TRelated source material

Similar Authors

Gary JarmanBrowse related quotes
Johann Wolfgang von GoetheBrowse related quotes
George Bernard ShawBrowse related quotes
Soren KierkegaardBrowse related quotes
Anais NinBrowse related quotes
Leo TolstoyBrowse related quotes
Paulo CoelhoBrowse related quotes
Robert Christopher RileyBrowse related quotes
Mehmet Murat IldanBrowse related quotes
Michael JacksonBrowse related quotes