THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

BY
HAROLD PINTER
Introduction

 The Birthday Party is Pinter's first full-length play

 It was written in 1957 and staged for the first time a year later at the Arts Theatre,
Cambridge
 It was not successful initially
 It did not meet the tastes of a confused audience, who still suffered from the terrible
aftermath of the Second World War
 The play was revived by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Aldwych Theatre,
London, in 1964.
 Pinter’s original style, obscured plot and psychological tension
Harold Pinter

 British Playwright, screenwriter, actor, theatre director, poet

 Born on 10 October 1930 in Hackney, London, England
 24 December 2008 in Acton, London, England
 He was influenced by Samuel Beckett, whom Harold Bloom
identified as Pinter's "ego ideal."
Notable Works and Awards

 His best-known plays include –  Pinter received over 50 awards, prizes,

 The Room (1956) and other honours
 The Birthday Party (1957),  David Cohen Prize (1995)
 The Caretaker (1960)
 Laurence Olivier Award (1996)
 The Homecoming (1964),
 Betrayal (1978),
 Companion of Honour (2002)
 The Servant (1963),  The Nobel Prize in Literature in 2005
 The Go-Between (1971),
 The French Légion d'honneur in 2007.
 The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981),
 The Trial (1993),
 Sleuth (2007).
 each of these plays he adapted for the screen
 He also directed and acted in radio, stage, television,
and film productions of his own and others' works.
Style of Pinter

 His work is so influential that his name has been used to explain certain settings or
situations—the "Pinter Pause" concerns relying on unsaid things to convey
characters' motivations or personalities
 The "Pinteresque" refers to an inconclusive end to a comedy of subtle menace and
absurdity.
 Pinter's career as a playwright began with a production of The Room in 1957. His
early works like The Room and The Birthday Party were described by critics as
"comedy of menace".
 Later plays such as No Man's Land (1975) and Betrayal (1978) became known as
"memory plays".
Pinter Pause
 A Pinter Pause is a radical device that Pinter frequently incorporated into his plays. He felt
that theatre neither accurately depicted the unpredictability of human discourse, nor the
complexities found in carefully constructing an utterance. Often when we search for the
right words, we pause. And sometimes, we have no comment at all, remaining completely
silent. This is exactly what Pinter pursued in his plays – a rejection of perfection in favour
of realism.
 There are three different types of silences that can be categorised under Pinter Pauses and
they are referred to as:
 An ellipsis: In a Pinter script, an ellipsis is denoted by three dots and was used by the
playwright to indicate slight hesitation.
 A pause: A pause was a much longer hesitation used by Pinter to more accurately depict
the careful construction of an utterance. Generally, during a pause, the character is in the
middle of a deep thought process and the use of this device helped Pinter to create tension
and an unsettling atmosphere.
 Silence: A full-on silence, also known as a pregnant pause, is a dead stop during which no
word is uttered because the character has encountered a conflict so absurd that they have
nothing to say, and they are left in a completely different mental state from where they
started.
Pinteresque

 The term, Pinteresque, was coined to refer to the characteristics found in Pinter’s
plays.
 Harold Pinter is known for his magnificent use of language, thus his style of writing
was named after him "Pinteresque". His use of colloquial language, numerous
clichés, unpolished grammar and illogical syntax create dialogues that reflect day-
to-day speech.
 Harold Pinter's style is characterised by the use of:
 Pauses, two silences, repetitions, irony, oxymorons, paradox, vagueness, reference
failure, semantic ambiguity, decontextualization
 Pinteresque atmosphere of horror not only ignites the feeling of anxiety, but also
arouses interest – a spectator can sense that something is wrong, even though the
dialogues do not directly state it.
Comedy of Menace

• The term was coined by drama critic Irving Wardle, who borrowed it from the
subtitle of David Campton's play The Lunatic View: A Comedy of Menace, in
reviewing Pinter's and Campton's plays in Encore in1958.
• A comedy of menace is a play in which the laughter of the audience in some or all
situations is immediately followed by a feeling of some impending disaster. The
audience is made aware of some menace in the very midst of its laughter. The
menace is produced throughout the play from potential or actual violence or from
an underline sense of violence throughout the play. The actual cause of menace is
difficult to define: it may be because, the audience feels an uncertainty and
insecurity throughout the play.
The Theatre of the Absurd
 Harold Pinter is frequently classified as a representative of the Theatre of the
Absurd, which appeared and developed mainly in 1950’s in France, England,
Scandinavia, Germany and other English-speaking countries, under the influence of
surrealism and expressionism, and as a reaction to Second World War. The term
was coined by Martin Esslin, who in 1961 published a book under this title, in which
he described a mode of drama writing shared by such European dramatists as
Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, Arthur Adamov, and Jean Genet. Harold Pinter was
added to this quartet of playwrights in the subsequent editions. According to Esslin,
the beginning of this type of drama can be seen in the late nineteenth century, when
in 1896 Alfred Jarry staged for the first time in Paris Ubu Roi (Ubu the King), a
nonsensical play about the adventures of a brutal usurper of Polish throne. This
play anticipates one of the main characteristics of the Theatre of the Absurd, its
tendency to externalize and project outwards what is happening in the deeper
recesses of mind [and] is grotesquely magnified and exaggerated.
 Pinter used this exaggeration and explicitness of human psychological processes in
his plays to present a realistic vision of the world deprived of faith in purposefulness
of human existence.
The Birthday Party

 Harold Pinter was working as an actor in England when he stayed briefly at a

dilapidated boarding house that would serve as his inspiration for both The Birthday
Party and The Room.
 The Birthday Party is Pinter’s first full length play, and the first of three plays
considered his “comedy of menace” pieces. The other two are The Caretaker (1960)
and The Homecoming (1964)
List of Characters
 Petey : Petey Boles is the owner of the rundown boarding house in which the play takes
place. He is 60 years old and married to Meg. Petey works as a deckchair attendant at an
unspecified seaside resort near his home on the shores of England. As the play continues,
Petey’s character is revealed to be more astute. He realizes that Goldberg and McCann are
more insidious than they seem, and probably knows of his wife and Stanley's strange
relationship. While Petey seems to know quite a lot more than he lets on, he ultimately reveals
that he will do little to compromise the comfortable, delusional existence he shares with Meg.

 Meg : Meg Boles is a kind woman who helps run the boarding house. She is sixty years old
and married to Petey in a seemingly childless marriage. Absentminded and simplistic, Meg
often asks repetitive questions and constantly requires attention. While she does carry on a
sexuallytinged relationship with Stanley, Meg lives a rather humdrum life that allows her to
maintain certain delusions about her attractiveness and popularity, delusions which she works
hard to protect even as the play goes to darker places.

 Stanley : Stanley Webber is ostensibly the protagonist of the play. He is the only boarder
at the Boles' boarding house, and is initially defined by laziness, unkemptness, and smug
cruelty towards Meg. The many details of his past are never confirmed - he might be a
musician, might have been famous, etc. - although there is a sense that he has sins unatoned
for. His aggressive depression transitions into a nervous breakdown when Goldberg and
McCann arrive, until he is nothing but a bumbling idiot in Act III.
Continued…
 Goldberg : Nat Goldberg, also called “Simey” and “Benny,” is a Jewish gentleman
who works for an unnamed "organization" that has employed him to take Stanley
away from the boarding house. He is defined by his outwardly polite and suave
demeanour, which stands in stark contrast to that of his associate McCann.
However, he ultimately reveals an angry, violent streak beneath this suave
demeanour. Goldberg's problems seem to be connected to his past - he is nostalgic
about family, and waxes poetic about the old days. To what extent these delusions
explain and/or feed his anger and violence are left to the reader's imagination.

 McCann : Dermot McCann is an Irish member of an unnamed "organization" that

has hired him to take Stanley away from the boarding house. Unlike Goldberg, who
uses words and charm to his advantage, McCann is a paragon of bodily aggression.
He lacks much social skill, and is something of a simpleton.

 Lulu: A young woman in her twenties, Lulu is an acquaintance of Meg’s and a

visitor to the boarding house. She is childish and flirtatious, and though she seems
initially interested in Stanley, she is easily attracted to Goldberg's charms. Her
girlish qualities become ironically unsettling after she is sexually assaulted.
Plot
 The play begins in the living room of a seaside boardinghouse which was owned by Petey
and his wife Meg.
 Stanley is the only guest at Meg and Petey’s guesthouse. He becomes perturbed when he
is told that new people are coming to stay.
 Stanley Webber’s life at a rundown seaside boarding house is disrupted by the
unexpected arrival of two mysterious and sinister strangers called Goldberg and McCann.
 A young woman, Lulu, arrives with a package for Stanley.
 When the two visitors Goldberg and McCann turn up, they claim to have a job to finish.
They corner and interrogate Stanley, their questions becoming ever more aggressive and
absurd. They talk about a mysterious ‘organisation’ and are generally threatening in their
demeanour. Pinter uses drumming and hysterical laughter to intensify the situation. A
game of blind man’s bluff is played in that party. During the party the lights go out. Lulu
faints, and it looks as if Stanley may have been about to assault her.
 The men’s strange menacing behaviour continues the following morning. They claim that
Stanley has suffered a nervous breakdown, and the play ends with them taking him away.
Major Themes

 Theme of absurdity :
 The Birthday Party has been described by Martin Esslin as an example of the
Theatre of Absurd. It includes such features as the fluidity and ambiguity of time,
place, and identity and the disintegration of language.
 So, Pinter in his play uses the theme of identity and absurdity that makes the
characters ambiguous and their identity are unclear. The theme of identity makes
the play ambiguous. For example, Goldberg is called Nat but in his stories of the
past he was mentioned as Simey and Benny.
 Harold Pinter also uses a contradiction as we see in Act 1 when Stanley says “I have
played the piano all over the world” then he says “All over the country”. Then, after
a pause he says “I once gave a concert”. It is also in Stanley’s birthday, Meg
decided to celebrate but he tries to deny by saying “It is not my birthday no; it is not
until next month”.
Continued…
 Confusion and Chaos :
 A key element of “the absurdist theater” is its focus on confusion and chaos. In The
Birthday Party, these elements manifest constantly, especially through its
characters.
 The primary ways in which the themes manifest are through the ambiguities of lives
and pasts. Stanley has some sort of mysterious past that deserves a violent
reckoning, but nobody really provides its details. When Stanley describes his past to
Meg in Act I, there is even the sense that he himself is confused about its
particulars. Goldberg's name and past also seem shrouded in mystery and delusion,
and Meg convinces herself to believe things about her life that are clearly not true.
Further, because of these type of confusions, the situation devolves into total
chaos. From the moment Goldberg and McCann arrive, the audience can sense that
the simplicity of the boarding house is about to be compromised, and indeed, the
chaos at the end of Act II confirms it. The only truth of The Birthday Party is that
there is no truth, only chaos and confusion from which we make order if we choose.
Continued…

 Apathy and Complacency:

 May be the most gloomy and negative aspect of The Birthday Party is that the only
replacement Pinter gives to Chaos and confusion is a life of Apathy and
Complacency. The play’s opening sets this up when Petey and Meg reveal a
comfortable but bland life in which they talk in pleasantries and ignore anything of
substance. Stanley might be more aggressive than they are, but he too has clearly
chosen the safety of Complacency, like them he also makes no effect to change his
life. When Goldberg and McCann arrive, they challenge this complacent lifestyle
until the whole place falls into Chaos. Ultimately, Petey chooses to protect the
complacency of the boarding house over bravely fighting for Stanley, neither choice
is truly appealing.
Continued…
 Language :
 The precision Pinter employs in crafting his rhythmic silences is enough to justify
language as a major theme, but he moreover reveals how language can be used as
a tool. Each of the characters uses language to his or her advantage. In effect,
characters manipulate words to suggest deeper subtexts, so that the audience
understand that true communication happens beneath language, and not through
words themselves. When Stanley insults Meg, he is actually expressing his self-
hatred and guilt. Goldberg is a master of language manipulation - he uses speeches
to deflect others questions, to redirect the flow of conversation, or to reminisce
about past events. His words are rarely wasted. Meg, on the other hand, repeats
herself, asking the same questions over and over again in a bid for attention. Even
though she often speaks without affectation, her words mask a deep neurosis and
insecurity. These are just a few examples of instances in which language is used not
to tell the story, but to suggest that the story is hidden. In essence, language in The
Birthday Party is a dangerous lie.
Continued…

 Atonement :
 One of the great ironies in this play is that it uses what appears to be a fairly
undramatic, realistic setting which nevertheless hides a surplus of guilt. The theme
of atonement runs throughout the play. Stanley's past is never detailed, but he is
clearly a guilty man. He is vague about his past, and does anything to distract
Goldberg and McCann. He does not wish to atone for whatever he did, but is forced
to do so through torture. Goldberg, too, wishes to avoid whatever sins torture him
but cannot fully escape them; his mood in Act III shows that he is plagued by
feelings he does not wish to have. In the end, all of the characters are like Lulu, who
flees when McCann offers her a chance to confess - everyone has sins to atone for,
but nobody wants to face them.
Continued…

 Nostalgia :
 Perhaps most fitting for a contemporary audience who would see this play as something
of a period piece, the theme of nostalgia is implicit but significant in The Birthday Party.
Goldberg, particularly, is taken by nostalgia, frequently waxing poetic both on his own
past and on the 'good old days' when men respected women. Certainly, Goldberg tells
some of these stories to contrast with the way Stanley treats women, but they also
suggest a delusion he has, a delusion that breaks down when he himself assaults Lulu
between the second and third acts. He idealizes some past that he cannot live up to.
 Other characters reveal an affection for nostalgia as well. During the birthday party, Meg
and Lulu both speak of their childhood days. However, their nostalgic feelings have
darker sides. Meg remembers being abandoned, whereas Lulu's memories of being young
lead Goldberg to bounce her perversely on his knee. Similarly, the characters play blind
man's bluff specifically because it makes them nostalgic, but the sinister side of such
nostalgia is inescapable in the stage image of Stanley preparing to rape Lulu. Nostalgia is
lovely to feel, the play seems to suggest, but more insidious in its complexities.
Continued…

 Violence :
 The Birthday Party is full of violence, both physical and emotional, overall suggesting
that violence is a fact of life. The violence is doubly affecting because the setting seems
so pleasant and ordinary. Most of the men show their potential for violence, especially
when provoked. Stanley is cruel and vicious towards Meg, but much more cowardly
against other men. Both McCann and Goldberg have violent outbursts no matter how
hard they try to contain themselves. Their entire operation, which boasts an outward
civility, has an insidious purpose, most violent for the way it tortures Stanley slowly to
force him to nervous breakdown. In both Acts II and III, they reveal how language itself
can be violent in the interrogation scenes.
 Much of the violence in the play concerns women. Stanley not only intimidates Meg
verbally, but he also prepares to assault Lulu. Goldberg in fact does assault Lulu.
Finally, the threat of violence is ever-present in the play. Even before we realize that
disaster might come, we can feel the potential through the many silences and tense
atmosphere.
Continued…

 Sex :
 Sexual tension is present throughout the entire play, and it results in tragic
consequences. Meg and Stanley have a strange, possible sexual relationship that
frees him to treat her very cruelly. The ugliness of his behaviour is echoed when
Goldberg calls him a “mother defiler” and “a lecher.” In fact, Goldberg suggests that
Stanley's unnamed sin involves his poor treatment of a woman. Lulu seems
interested in Stanley as well, but is quickly attracted to Goldberg in Act II. Her
innocence makes her prey to men's sexuality. Her openness leads to two
consecutive sexual assaults, and yet she is nevertheless upset to learn that
Goldberg is leaving. All in all, it is a strange, perverse undercurrent throughout the
play - sex is acknowledged as a fact of life, and yet does not ever reveal positive
aspects of the characters.
Symbol:

 Stanley’s Drum :
 The drum that Meg gives to Stanley for his birthday is a clear representation of her
fondness for order. When Stanley first unwraps the gift, she urges him to play it,
encouraging him as he slings it around his neck and marches in circles about the
table, rhythmically banging the drum as he goes. Unsurprisingly, she is delighted to
hear him tapping out a beat, since rhythm is made up of patterns and repetitions,
and requires the player to enact a sense of control. As such, the drum itself comes
to stand for the ways in which the characters in The Birthday Party either adhere to
or diverge from the order that Meg wants so badly to institute. As Stanley continues
to play, the rhythm grows increasingly erratic until, much to Meg’s horror, he beats
the instrument in a “savage” and “possessed” manner. In this way, the drum serves
as an early indication that the boarding house’s seemingly controlled environment is
about to descend into chaos.
Important Questions for 08 marks

1. Would it be appropriate to consider The Birthday Party as a Comedy of Menace?

Discuss with suitable illustrations from the text.
2. The relation between the individual and society is at the centre of The Birthday
Party. Do you subscribe to the view? Discuss.
3. Would you consider The Birthday Party as a part of the Theatre of the Absurd?
Answer with suitable illustrations from the text.
4. Explain the character of Stanley Webber in Harold Pinter's play The Birthday Party.
5. The question of identity is at the heart of The Birthday Party. Discuss.
Important Questions for 04 marks

 Comment on-

1. Stanley and Meg's relationship

2. Stanley’s and Lulu’s interaction in Act I
3. Significance of the black-out scene
4. Role and function of Lulu
5. Significance of the ending of the play
Important Questions for 02 marks

 1. Where does Petey meet Goldberg and McCann for the first time and when?
 2. What is meant by a ‘straight show’?
 3. Who makes Stanley get out of bed in Act I and why?
 4. What is in the packet that Lulu delivers?
 5. What did Goldberg do on Fridays?
 6. Why does Stanley call Meg ‘bad wife’?
Further Reading

 Jenkins, John P. Brodie's Notes on Three Plays of Harold Pinter : The Caretaker, The
Homecoming, The Birthday Party. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 1991. Print •
 Lahiri, Pradip. Harold Pinter: A Study in Dialogic Art. New Delhi: Prestige Books, 1996.
Print •
 Naismith, Bill. Harold Pinter: The Birthday Party, The Caretaker, The Homecoming.
London: Faber & Faber Ltd, 2001. Print •
 Narula, Dr. S. C. Harold Pinter: The Birthday Party. New Delhi: Surjeet Publications,
2018. Print •
 Pinter, Harold. Birthday Party. London: Faber and Faber, 1991.Print •
 Scott, Michael (Ed.). Harold Pinter: The Birthday Party, The Caretaker, The Homecoming.
Houndmills: Macmillan Press, 1986. Print •
 Smith, Ian. Pinter in the Theatre. London: Nick Hern Books, 2005. Print
Thank You