The boy next door is an archetype of storytelling. He is often invoked in Western contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming, or "average" masculinity. He is a young man with a sweet, shy demeanor who is just discovering his physical and spiritual strengths. The boy next door maintains his innocent wonder due to his charm, sincerity and preservation of virginity. He is never arrogant and mostly reserved. He is the male counterpart of the "girl next door." An example of each is found in Thornton Wilder's Our Town, in the characters of George Gibbs and Emily Webb.