The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter is an absurdist play that leaves the audience feeling unsettled. It depicts the arrival of two mysterious men, Goldberg and McCann, at a boarding house to interrogate Stanley about his identity. Through contradictory dialogue and a lack of expository information, the play creates an atmosphere of ambiguity, uncertainty, and menace. Stanley becomes a victim as Goldberg and McCann psychologically break him down, reflecting the destruction of the individual voice in society. The play uses jokes and humor to create tension and force the audience into an uncomfortable position of siding with either the aggressor or victim.

1. The Birthday party(1958)Harold Pinter(known as a World War dramatist)Preetiba Jhala

2. An Absurd DramaA pervasive attitude rather than a system of thoughts.The concept of absurdity defers person to person.The term is applied to many of the works of a group of dramatist of 1950s.What is the meaning of Absurd?According to Ionesco : “Absurd is that which of purpose . . . cut off from his religious metaphysical and transcendental root , man is lost , all his actions become senseless , absurd , useless.”

3. An Absurd DramaThe theatre of Absurd , The theatre of Cruelty(derived from French dramatist Antonin Artaud)Because the theatre of Cruelty is the general notion of exposing the audience to horror.This reveals the threat behind the evasive exchanging of everyday life and to convey tension between people those who think they know each other.

4. Pinteresque’s featuresUse of Non-Verbal device(Non-Verbal Communication)Silence and PauseTo avoid conversationTo show extreme emotional strainAs an answer to a rhetorical question(a question for information but to produce effect)To see the effect of what has been said to the interlocutorDialogues: expose characters alienation from each other , no feelings towards each other.

5. Pinteresque’s featuresDeceiving- from it we can’t know the reality of the characters.Character’s talk or chatting- Futile talk , without meaning.Comedy of Menace: Perhaps applied to his early plays “The Room” , “The Birthday Party”.Violence , tension , suspense , terror.Stanley’s struggle: An individual’s imperative need for resistance.Neurotic- is he? Or Neurosis- a reaction against irrationality of existence.

6. Pinteresque’s featuresNeedless mystery and violence were introduced.Stanley learns two men’s arrival but their arrival remains completely unexplained and surpriseWho are they? Don’t know.Goldberg and MaCann: Tow men’s arrival unexpectedly and take the third man (Stanley) away is ‘Abstract’ and ‘Absurd’.

7. Pinteresque’s featuresThe theme of Absurdity is created by :Contradiction:Little expository information in the play.Contradiction by the characters , therefore one can’t take what they say at first value.Act-I: Stan: I have played the Piano all over the World , (reduces immediately to) all over the Country , (a pause) undercuts both hyperbolic presentation in stating “I once gave a concert”.Contradiction in dialogues.

8. Pinteresque’s featuresDialogues about Stanley’s birthday party , about the house.Because of Contradicted dialogue the identity is shiftingThe theme of Identity makes the play ambiguous.Goldberg is called Nel but in past he was called Simey and Benny he refers to MaCann both ‘Dermont’ and ‘Seamus’.Actual identity remains unclear.

9. Pinteresque’s features“We see the destruction of the victim from the victim’s own point of view.” –Arnold P. HinchilffeGoldberg refers to his job and his family , it seems that he may be the victim of the society.Goldberg and MaCann both faces nervous breakdown , so they are victim of their past.Stanley becomes his victim.May be Stanley will meet his death or will only receive brainwashing.

10. Pinteresque’s featuresSo the play is the destruction of an individual , the independent voice of an individual.

11. Comedy of menaceFreud’s theory – Jokes and the Relation to the UnconsciousAccording to Freud 3 people are required for the successful teasing of a tendencies or purposeful joke1 who makes the joke2nd who is taken as the object of the hostile or sexual aggressiveness3rd in whom the joke’s aim of producing pleasure is fulfilled

12. Comedy of menaceJokes – used as theatrical device (events)Purpose to please or impress the audienceJoke maker makes the jokes for his pleasure, to create the relationship between someone elseThe act of telling jokes forces anyone to become the part of the eventIf they listen, they compromiseIf laugh, they are with the aggressor if they refuse to laugh they are with the victimThey are not free to do what they want