It is apparent that there is no sense of anticipation or plot complication thus far. Instead, Wilder presents a typical day filled with unremarkable details, such as Wally’s study of Canada. The one noteworthy event—the birth of twins—suggests that life is a continuing cycle. It has a certain humdrum, repetitious, yet secure routine. For example, Mrs. Gibbs considers spending money on a trip to Paris, but she never goes there—not because she can’t, but because European travel does not fit the preconceived pattern of her life.
The attraction of this benign monotony is a mesmerizing flow of days that go on without too much bother by the inhabitants. Its routineness is taken for granted. This theme of predictability appears in the last act when Emily returns to the past to appreciate the simplistic routine of a single day. She realizes then—only after death—that life is a priceless opportunity.
