The Birthday Party: Harold Pinter

How does Pinter play with our expectations of conversations to show power in characters’ relationships?

 In the play ‘The Birthday Party’ by Harold Pinter, most of the conversations are slightly awkward and stiff, making them seem unnatural. But this does mean that it is easy to see which characters’ have power within relationship. For example, in the relationship between Meg and Petey, Petey’s short responses to Meg’s petty ramblings show that he has power in the relationship because he can quickly end conversations and doesn’t feel as though he has to carry on the conversation. Whereas Meg feels as though she has to carry on the conversation and tend to Petey all the time, showing she is weaker and without power in the relationship. Another example is the relationship between Goldberg and McCann. In the relationship, Goldberg talks a lot and extends his sentences so that he is talking for a longer time, symbolising that he has power over McCann as he talks the most. But this could also symbolise that he has less power as he may feel as though he has to talk for a long time every time he talk because if not he wouldn’t get to talk at all. Lastly, another example of power in a relationship is in the relationship between Stanley and Goldberg. In this relationship Goldberg shows power by interrogating Stanley and making their conversations awkward and uncomfortable.