A Satire of Human Negligence
The Skin of Our Teeth and The Climate Crisis
By Şeyda Taşkıner
Climate crisis is a term that involves the effects of global warming and climate change. Our planet’s temperature is rising day by day and it would not be wrong to indicate that human activities are mainly responsible for this occurrence. Along with the loss of biodiversity and overpopulation, the climate crisis is a huge threat to the Earth. The process of disrupting the planet can be prevented or at least slowed down for the sake of future generations, however, the environmental changes and mass extinctions are still not taken seriously by the world leaders. American playwright Thornton Wilder wondrously criticizes the irresponsibility and negligence of humankind when it comes to the climate crisis, in his Pulitzer-winning allegorical play, The Skin of Our Teeth (1942). The plot of the play revolves around a nuclear family and their maid Sabina. The family is allegorized as some historical and Biblical figures and at the same time, all humankind. George and Maggie Antrobus represent Adam and Eve in the first act, and then they respectively turn into Mr. President and Madame President of the United States, and finally Noah and his wife. The first act is about global warming, there is a moving ice wall near the household of Antrobuses and they experience the coldest day of the year in August. The maid, Sabina is a character that breaks the fourth wall by addressing the audience. While the world is coming to an end, and the family members and Sabina are a few of the luckiest people who have not already died, they talk about the subjects that can only be understood as a satire of the real world. As the climate crisis is at its peak, Mrs. Antrobus’ concerns are about being loved by her husband and raising her daughter to be a true ”lady”. The second act is an allegory of The Great Flood and Mr. President is expected to give a speech about ”the end of the world”, however, he chooses to be interested in a love triangle that he is involved in. The scene perfectly mocks the situation from the point of the world leaders being in the public eye with their personal lives rather than taking actions for the greater good, or for the future of our planet.
Sabina and the fortune teller from the second act are the most sensible characters of the play, even though they do not aim to prevent the climate crisis, they can be recognized as the voice of the Wilder. Sabina constantly interrupts the run of the play by making comments on human beings’ negligence and stupidity. In the second act, she openly blames humans for the whole process. As for the fortune teller, she urges Antrobus to take action or at least make an explanation about the disaster, but he still does not listen, he is too busy with his ”earth-shaking” personal life to even pay attention to the prophecies. The play offers a great critique of negligence about one of the most crucial issues of human history and the possible outcomes of the selfishness of people, especially the political ones.
