Birthday Party by Harold Pinter

Birthday Party by Harold Pinter

Introduction :-

As we study to modernist literature in new way of looking literature. Birthday party was written in 1957 by Harold Pinter. he was playwright, director, screen player, poet and theorist. He was wrote work to theatre of absurd. And he was famous to his comedy of menace and painteresque. He is an English playwright who achieved international success as one of the most complex post-World War II dramatists. Harold Pinter's plays are noted for their use of silence to increase tension, understatement, and cryptic small talk. In 2005 Pinter was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.

Summery :-

In birthday party, Stanley Webber was protagonist. He was leave in to Meg and Peter’s boarding house. Here we see that two stranger McCann and Goldberg were come into this house. It was mystery of all three. Throughout the play we are kept amused and yet throughout the play we find ourselves also on the brink of terror. Some indefinable and vague fear keeps our nerves on an edge. We feel uneasy all the time even when we are laughing or smiling with amusement. This dual quality gives to the play a unique character. In use of language has to play and how Pinter was lexical and use to language in different way.

Stanley was artist and in his past something should be bad of them. That’s why Goldberg was angry and danger to his life. In the play two women characters like Lulu and Meg were play vital role. in second act birthday of Stanley but he was unknown. And how this women play them to this men at blind men buff. Because here women are main part and its becomes inspiration to Stanley life. 

Lulu was neighbor and she was motivate to him, and may at end of the play she was prostitute. She argues to Goldberg and she like and impress to his speech. But in that time she said that Goldberg was rape by her.

 

We cannot speak of a plot in Pinter’s plays. In the construction of his plays he only includes a situation, that’s why it is difficult to retell the stories of his drama. In the play we see that Pinter pause and Pinter silence of them. Many a time there is two silences. One when no word is spoken.

Goldberg: And the day before. What did you do the day before that?

Stanley: What do you mean?

Goldberg: What did you wear last week, Webber? Where do you keep your suits?

McCann: Why did you leave the organization?

Goldberg: What would your old mum say, Webber?

McCann: Why did you betray us?

Goldberg: Is the number 846 possible or necessary?

Stanley: Neither.

The other when perhaps a torrent of language is being employed. This speech is speaking of a language locked beneath it. That is its continual reference. The speech we hear is an indication of that which we don't hear. It is a necessary avoidance, a violent, sly, anguished or mocking smoke screen which keeps the other in its place. When true silence falls we are still left with echo but are nearer nakedness. In the play symbols are use as identify in the play. Birthday party in reading news paper, drum, wall, door, window, dining table etc. it became evil and tragic comedy in this play.

Again in The Birthday Party the toy drum that Meg gives Stanley as a birthday present will, as some point, serve as Stanley’s mouthpiece when he is unable to verbalize what he feels inside. So here we see to Goldberg language and how he was impressing to these two women. How Pinter has characteristic in the play use them. And the play something should be serious and mystery of them. Pinter has gives image of world war and how behind use to politics in this play. It is in social political and effect of war in the play. Another technique that Pinter uses to create an atmosphere of menace is to cast doubt on almost everything in the play.

So we see that it is something bad and how past in some things evil to in characters life and at begun to end characters and readers should be unknown. What happen in the play it is unknowing. It tries to explain the human predicament in this indifferent & hostile world. and how this play we see in Harold Pinter last speech of noble prize won them and it is not to imagination but this is real world politics and society represented them in this play.