The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter.pptx

Harold Piter

1. The Birthday Party -Harold Pinter (1930-2008) By Dhatri Parmar & Rahul Desai

2. About Author Harold Pinter was a British playwright, screenwriter, and actor, born on October 10, 1930. He became one of the most influential figures in 20th-century theatre. Pinter's works are known for their distinctive language, pauses, and exploration of power dynamics in human relationships. Pinter received numerous awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2005. Pinter's impact on drama and his ability to create tension and ambiguity in storytelling have left a lasting legacy in the world of literature and performing arts.

3. Major Works The Dumb Writer (1959) The caretaker (1960) The Homecoming ( 1964)

4. Meaning : a person or thing that is likely to cause harm; a threat or danger. Comedy of menace comprises plays by David Campton, Nigel Dennis, N. F. Simpson, and Harold Pinter. The term was introduced by drama critic Irving Wardle , who borrowed it from the subtitle of Campton's play " The Lunatic View: A Comedy of Menace." Irving Wardle coined the term while reviewing plays by Pinter and Campton in Encore in 1958. Claustrophobic space and character always in doubt and fear. Comedy of Menace

5. "The Birthday Party" is a play written by Harold Pinter, known for its mysterious and unsettling atmosphere. The story revolves around Stanley, a seemingly ordinary man staying in a boarding house run by Meg and Petey. Stanley's quiet birthday celebration takes an unexpected turn when two strangers, Goldberg and McCann, arrive. The play unfolds with a mix of comedy and menace as the characters' motives become unclear, creating an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty. "The Birthday Party" is celebrated for its unique blend of language, pauses, and the way it explores the darker aspects of human relationships and power dynamics. Introduction of the play

6. Stanley Webber Characters Pianist in Meg and Petey’s boarding house Unemployed and mysterious past Exhibits menace and apprehension Lives an aloof life with puzzling behavior Engages in strange activities (drum play, attempted abuse, strangling) Goldberg and McCann take him away in a black car to Monty at the play's end Good-natured woman in her sixties Married to Petey Boles Implied childless marriage Fills void by treating Stanley Webber as a surrogate child Insists on calling him "boy" and mothering him Invades his privacy, behaving like a parent Attempts to fill another void by flirting with Stanley Juxtaposition of maternal and flirtatious behavior Meg Boles:

7. In his sixties Married to Meg Boles Works as a deck-chair attendant at an unidentified seaside resort Owns a boarding house that has seen better days Dull and ambitionless Not inclined to seek challenges beyond the boarding house Settled into a humdrum existence Shares a mundane life with Meg Absent during the birthday party due to his chess night Petey Boles: Jew in his fifties, Older one Suave, gentlemanly appearance and demeanor Exudes superficial good will and offers kindly advice Nostalgic, fondly recalls family and events from his early life Insists on honoring Stanley with a birthday party In Act III, suffers from unknown anxiety Appears domineering and self-confident in Acts I and II Feeling 'knocked out' and badly shaken in Act III Excellent speaker now stammers and struggles for words Nat Goldberg :

8. Dermont McCann: Symbolic significance of these two strangers: personification of Stanley’s thought and his sense of guilt. messengers of death...Stanley as soul. personification of man’s basic primitiveness. agents of repressive society. representative forces of corruption and violence. came from asylum to capture the escaped lunatic. He is one of the strangers who come to interrogate Stanley. He is much less impressive than Goldberg. He feels uneasy at the arrival at the boarding house. He is nervous about the ‘Job’ to be done. He is unfriendly towards Stanley. Lulu : Attempts to tempt Stanley, but he remains unresponsive Invited as a guest to the Birthday Party Sits on Goldberg’s lap during the party, encourages his flirtation Reappears in Act III, grieved and complaining about Goldberg's behavior Ambiguity in Lulu's character portrayal Uncertainty about her taking initiative with Goldberg or being a victim of his 'cunning' Act II suggests she wanted to be seduced by Goldberg after liking his speech Takes initiation with Stanley in Act I

9. Act 1 The Nightmare begins Opens with Meg preparing breakfast for Petey, her husband. Stanley, a disheveled man in his late thirties, enters from upstairs. Meg, switching between maternal and flirtatious tones, informs Stanley about the arrival of two new visitors. A sudden knock on the front door prompts Meg to leave, and Stanley listens through the letterbox, feeling concerned and suspicious. Lulu arrives with a package for Meg, diverting Stanley's attention from eavesdropping. After Meg and Lulu exit, Goldberg and McCann arrive. Stanley sneaks out through the kitchen door to eavesdrop. Goldberg and McCann discuss a vague "job" using bureaucratic clichés, leaving McCann satisfied. Meg's new guests go upstairs, and Stanley re-enters. Meg gives him a package containing his birthday present. Stanley opens the package to find a toy drum.

10. Act 2 the interrogation Stanley talks with McCann, who wants to keep him from leaving. Stanley acts strangely, saying it's not his birthday and questioning why Goldberg brought him. Goldberg sends McCann to get whiskey. When McCann returns, they ask confusing questions, making Stanley upset. Meg comes in, dressed for a party, and they start toasting Stanley. Lulu joins, being romantic with Goldberg. They play a game, and McCann teases Stanley by breaking his glasses and trapping his foot in a toy drum. Stanley attacks Meg and later tries to hurt Lulu. The act ends with Goldberg and McCann cornering Stanley against a wall while he laughs crazily.

11. Act 3 Petey has breakfast, and Meg asks questions, revealing aftermath differences from the first scene after the party. Meg goes shopping, and Petey expresses concern to Goldberg about Stanley's condition and Goldberg's plan to take him to Monty. During an exchange, Goldberg momentarily loses confidence but recovers after an odd request for McCann to blow in his mouth. Lulu confronts Goldberg about his previous night's behavior, driven away by McCann's offensive remarks and demands for her confession. McCann brings in Stanley with broken glasses; they list his faults and promise benefits through submission to their influence. They lead Stanley towards the waiting car to take him to Monty. Petey briefly confronts them but passively backs down as they take Stanley away, calling out for him not to be influenced. Meg returns from shopping, notices the car is gone. Petey, remaining silent, withholds the truth about Stanley's departure, leaving Meg unaware of what happened.

12. Filled with disjointed information challenging the distinction between reality and illusion Personal information presented on Stanley and his persecutors Mystery surrounds the true identity and nature of the characters Goldberg shares background information but provides oblique clues about his intrusion Uncertainty about Stanley's actions deserving persecution Lack of clarity regarding the facts of Stanley's past Ambiguity and confusion contribute to the absurdist atmosphere Theme of Absurdity

13. Economy of Language in Pinter's Style: Pinter uses simple expressions, paring down language for a direct impact. Purposeful use of redundancies, e.g., "Name the lady who gave birth to the child," in Meg and Petey's dialogue. Beginning of the Play: Emphasis on simplicity in dialogue. Characters like Meg and Petey using straightforward language. Interrogation Scene: Dialogue in interrogation scenes marked by minimalism. Characters reveal information in a sparse yet impactful manner. Sit-Stand Motif: Pinter employs the sit-stand dynamic for subtle power play. Movement becomes significant, conveying unspoken tension. Last Brainwash Scene: Final brainwash scene characterized by stark language. Dialogue stripped down, intensifying the atmosphere. QUALITIES OF HAROLD PINTER'S PLAYS :

14. Lesser, Simon O. “Reflections on Pinter’s ‘The Birthday Party.’” Contemporary Literature , vol. 13, no. 1, 1972, pp. 34–43. JSTOR , https://doi.org/10.2307/1207418. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024. Dukore, Bernard. “The Theatre of Harold Pinter.” The Tulane Drama Review , vol. 6, no. 3, 1962, pp. 43–54. JSTOR , https://doi.org/10.2307/1124934. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024. Rayner, Alice. “Harold Pinter: Narrative and Presence.” Theatre Journal , vol. 40, no. 4, 1988, pp. 482–97. JSTOR , https://doi.org/10.2307/3207890. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024. References :

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