Page 326 - DENG403_BRITISH_DRAMA

British Drama

Notes • After Meg returns from shopping, she notices that The car’s gone and as Petey remains silent,
he continues to withhold his knowledge of Stanley’s departure, allowing her to end the play
without knowing the truth about Stanley.

28.5 Keywords

Insane : Characteristic of a person of unsound mind.
Flophouse : A cheap lodging house, especially one used by tramps.
Tenant : A person or group that rents and occupies land, a house, an office, or the like, from
another for a period of time.
Unfunny : Not funny; especially failing to achieve the intended humor.
Obscure : Not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain: an obscure sentence in the contract.
Or not clear to the understanding; hard to perceive: obscure motivations. Or not
expressing the meaning clearly or plainly.

28.6 Review Questions

1. What truth about Stanley Petey withhold to tell Meg?
2. Illustrate and analyse the events of Act II.
3. Illustrate the conversation of Petey and Meg Boles in their living dining area in the opening
of the play.
4. Illustrate the events of Act III about the Stanley’s departure and end of the play.
5. Write a short notes on the events of:
(a) Act I (b) Act II (c) Act III

Answers: Self Assessment
1. (a) 2. (b) 3. newspaper
4. breakfast food 5. True 6. False
7. False

28.7 Further Readings

Ganz, Arthur (ed.). 1972. Introduction to Pinter: A Collection of Critical Essays.
Prentice-Hall.
Esslin, Martin. 1976. The Theatre of the Absurd, revised and enlarged edition, Penguin
Books.

Online links http://www.slideshare.net/Johof/the-birthday-party-full-text-2073679
http://www.enotes.com/birthday-party/birthday-party-work-anti-text

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