This document is a paper about Harold Pinter's play The Birthday Party analyzing it as a "Comedy of Menace". It was prepared by Avani Dave for their seminar class at M.K.S Bhavnagar University. The paper discusses the general ominous setting of the play, the power conflict between characters, and how elements like silence, knocking on the door, and the characters of Goldberg and McCann generate a sense of lurking danger and failure of communication.

1. Paper : The Modernist Literature.
Topic : Birthday Party as Comedy
of Menace
Prepared by :Avani Dave
M.A. - Sem – 3
Roll No: 02
Department of English
M.K.S Bhavnagar University

2.  Comedy of Menace :

Irving Wardle
David Campton, Harold Pinter
 The

general setting
Power conflict
 Humourosly
cynical

3. Fear in the Play
Goldberg
 Silence & Mc Cann
 The Stanley Webber of Menace
Atmosphere
 Pinteresque Effect
 Knocking of the Door
 Knocking is threatening

4. The Character of Goldberg and Mc Cann
 Stanley and Goldberg
 Deconstruction of an individual
 Failure of communication
Lurking danger

5. Society
Goldberg & Mc Cann
Stanley Webber
 Identity
 Needless mystery and violence Generated
from Pity and Fear
 The room or House