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The Caretaker a Comedy

The Caretaker may be taken as a very Comedy play, as Pinter himself has admitted that the audience are meant to laugh in the play. Pinter uses various techniques to gain his comic effects. One of these is incongruity of speech or behaviour of the character. When a speech or episode is so unexpected, so out of place, it becomes funny.

Much of the comedy in the play in ironical; the audience are able to distinguish between what a character says and what he actually means. An example of this is Mick's comment to Davies that Aston is "work shy". He seems to talk about Aston, but in fact, is talking about Davies. Pinter is skilful at creating sudden anti-climaxes which are comic. After a highly enthusiastic description of a pair of shoes that Aston has offered him, during which the audience are led to believe that he will accept them, Davies announces that they "Don't fit though". Another anti-climax occurs when after terrorising and assaulting Davies, Mick suddenly says "It's awfully nice to meet you". This expression evokes surprise and laughter in the audience.

Further, the self-deception of the characters gives rise to a comedy of a subtle type For example, Davies declares that he will go to Sidcup and makes Aston believe that a woman has invited him to see her body. Davies's 'choosiness' is also a matter of fun, because a man in his position should accept gratefully whatever is offered to him.

There are a number of comic episodes which raise audience's laughter that can exposes the layers of deception, created by the characters. Thus the true nature of the character is revealed. The element of menace or terror is also present in Pinter's comedy. Davies being chased by Mick with the vacuum cleaner is funny, but for him it is terrifying experience.

To sum up, The Caretaker is not a comedy, but a mixture of comedy and tragedy. Comedy is not a theme of the play but merely a technique which helps Pinter focus on the multi-layered portrait of three characters in relation to their loneliness, isolation, frustration, failure of communication, dreams and fancies.

Do You call The Caretaker a Comedy?

Green Land | April 11, 2019 | 0 comments

The Caretaker a Comedy

Harold Pinter , The Caretaker

The theme of violence and menace in The Caretaker

The theme of violence and menace is always present in Pinter's earlier' plays and The Caretaker is no exception in this respect. In a play of Pinter violence and menace lurk just below the surface. Mick, for example, is a character who finds pleasure in frightening others. His movements are swift and silent but he is unpredictable in his behaviour. He threatens Davies with physical violence at first and then poses to more subtle but very unsettling exhibitions of verbal menace. Davies is never quite sure where he stands with him.

On the other side of the coin Davies presents a menace to Mick, a threat to his relationship with Aston. After all, it is Aston who invited Davies in. Although Mick complaints to Davies about Aston being lazy, at the end the bond between the two brothers is shown to be stronger than that between either of them, and David, the outsider.

Violence and menace also loom large in Aston's life. Unlike Mick he is always the victim and never the perpetrator. His description of the pincers being put on his skull in the hospital is very shocking, because generally we believe hospital to be a place that heals pain rather than causing it.

The most apparent source of menace is Mick. Davies is not only the victim of physical assault but is often brutally reminded by Mick of an ordered social world to which he does not belong. Then Mick's remarks about references, solicitors, contracts, personal medical attendants, etc. expose Davies's position in a world where he has no identity.

In his reaction to all these Davies becomes violent. We see early in Act One of the play, he promises to revenge himself upon the Scotsman who offended him. On two occasions in the play, he draws knife, firstly on Mick in Act Two, and then on Aston in Act Three.

Furthermore, we see that while Mick causes menace to Davies, he himself is frightened of losing his brother to Davies. Aston cannot forget his experiences in the hospital, and his silences can be menacing once the audience know that they spring from a character whose mind has been affected and whose responses are not as predictable as those of an ordinary person. The story of Aston being taken away to hospital against his wishes and tortured there into conformity suggests a hostile outside world waiting to pounce on those whom if suspects to be oppositions.Thus the theme of menace and violence is traceable in the behaviour and actions of the characters in The Caretaker.

Discuss the theme of violence and menace in The Caretaker?

Green Land | April 10, 2019 | 0 comments

The theme of violence and menace in The Caretaker

Harold Pinter , The Caretaker

Character of Mick

Mick, one of the three characters in the play The Caretaker is a riddle for the audience. He says the least and nothing is predictable about him. He is in his late twenties and wears a leather jacket, which, to some critics, signify fascism: but jacket may stand for something more than this, because in recent times leather jackets in Western Europe, have become associated with unruly and violent youth.

Mick is a figure of both menace and uncertainty; and both these features are due to his ability to mix silence with violence. He does not utter a single word when he assaults Davies at the end of Act I. The whole episode is conducted in a frightening silence, until Mick breaks it with the question, "what's the game?" Again confusion is caused for his sudden change of moods. In a parody of good manners he suddenly says, "It's awfully nice to meet you". He seems to delight in confusing Davies with long speeches about those Davies reminds him of places in London, and professional terminology, all of which serve to confuse Davies's already tottering sense of identity.

The inconsistency of Mick's attitude irritates Davies, but this is Mick's way of getting power over him. He baffles Davies, threatens him, appears concerned that he slept well, and then taunts him by flicking his trousers in his face.

One important feature of Mick's character is his fluency. Its good example is the speech in which he begins by telling Davies that he stinks. It is quite apparent from Davies's appearance that he is little better than a tramp, but Mick makes fun of him by offering, though cruelly, a series of deals involving solicitors, decorators, insurance, a personal medical attendant, and bank, all of which are totally unknown to Davies. There is no justification in this cruel mocking nature of Mick towards Davies.

Further we notice in Act Three Mick making a speech in which he expresses his plan to turn the room into a penthouse. The penthouse in its expensive and vulgar decoration and furnishings stands in a striking contrast to the shabbiness of the room, strewn with Aston's rubbish. Yet Mick dreams of sharing the flat with Aston and this suggests the depth of the bond between the two brothers. It is interesting that a few moments later Mick criticises Aston for showing no interest in his dreams. Thus the relationship between the two brothers, though deep, appears to be complex and contradictory. This, however, should not be seen as Pinter's weakness in dramatic technique. He rather tries to portray the relationship of real human beings. In human relationship we find resentments and tensions compete with loyalty and love.

Sketch the character of Mick in The Caretaker?

Green Land | April 02, 2019 | 2comments

Character of Mick

Harold Pinter , The Caretaker

Character of Aston

Aston in his last twenties or early thirties appears to be the elder brother of Mick in The Caretaker'. He wears a shabby pin-striped suit that was given to him at the hospital.

The most obvious feature of Aston is his generosity. He rescues Davies from the cafe, places a chair for him, offers him a room and a bed, goes back for his bag, and finds him another when the original one is unobtainable. He gives Davies a cigarette, a pair of shoes, money and the bag. However, his very kindness leaves him vulnerable to attacks from Davies. It is ironic that Davies speaks to Aston, who is kind to him, in a way, he would never dare speak to Mick, who taunts and torments him.

In Act One Aston tells Davies that he likes working with his hands, but all his talk of building the shed and for all his working with electric plugs, he accomplishes very little in the play. His business appears to be an excuse for getting nothing done rather than a means of attaining targets. By keeping himself preoccupied, Aston manages to give his life some sense of purpose, although this leads Mick to complain that Aston is hopeless as a workman. What Pinter shows very powerfully through Aston is a mind, rendered too timid to confront those issues with which it is faced. It has been rendered so by a society which dislikes misfits. Unable to give his life much drive or direction, Aston takes refuge in dreams and pointless fiddling with plugs.

The disordered state of Aston's mind has been projected in various ways. Most obviously the room with its clutter of ill-assorted objects, serves as a visual symbol of Aston's cluttered brain. His manner of speech is also significant. Most of the time, his speeches are short as though he feels difficulty in formulating thoughts and expressing them is also difficult for him. For example, in Act Two when Aston tells Davies about the shed he intends to build. In his musing about the shed and then the room, Aston seems to forget Davies's presence. In this way, and through the hesitant and broken phrases he uses, Pinter shows the extent to which dreaming gives Aston some sense of purpose.

To sum up, Aston appears to be a practical man of the world. Although he is kind, he does finally have the determination to ask Davies to leave. He does this only after Davies has been particularly offensive, and then in a mild manner, even offering Davies some money to get to Sidcup. It is only when Davies speaks dismissively of the shed that Aston becomes angry. He does not mind for insultation but he cannot tolerate when anyone speaks disrespectfully of the dream that gives his life a semblance of purpose.

Discuss the role and character of Aston in the play The Caretaker.

Green Land | April 02, 2019 | 1comments

Character of Aston

Harold Pinter , The Caretaker

The Caretaker a critique of Society

The Caretaker appears to be a critique of society not in a broad sense but in its limited aspects. That is a number of aspects of society appear to come under criticism in the play. In their different ways both Davies and Aston are victims of society. Davies cannot cope with its complexity and Aston has a damaged mentality but society makes no attempt to help them. Davies seems to be doomed to perpetual loneliness, while Aston, also lonely, relies on the unpredictable companionship of his brother. Both the characters lack fulfilment.

Davies is a man rejected by society because he does not have his 'papers' without the documentary evidence by which society labels and categorises its members, he is a lost case. The individual is not recognised by society. It recognises only a name and number on a piece of paper, and without these papers the individual does not exist. So Davies is condemned to wander rootless and unwanted, terrified by vague fears of persecution. He does not know the technical terms mentioned by Mick, the references to house owning and purchase, insurance, and banking, bonus schemes, etc but society gives importance to the knowledge of such things, possessed by its members. Thus without papers, Davies is a man without identity.

Aston is also a victim of society, but his case is different. His operation may be interpreted as society's retribution, and a symbol of the fear in which it holds the person who is a potential threat to it. Any such threat must be cruelly and immediately destroyed, in this case by taking away Aston's ability to think.

Racial prejudice is also criticised in The Caretaker through the character of Davies, and is revealed as the greatest of follies. Davies's hatred of coloured people is simply a cover for his own deficiencies, and his fear of them is irrational. Racial prejudice allows Davies to blame others for what is actually his own fault.Further Mick's dream of a "penthouse" flat is also an implied criticism of society. Mick's greatest aim in life seems to be to bring the house up to the standards that modern society finds desirable. His plan of the decoration of the house will change its appearance but its basic structure will remain the same as will the people inside it. What Mick wants is to coat the surface of the house, but go no deeper. Such an aim is made to appear trivial, false value in a society.

To sum up, The Caretaker is not wholly a social criticism. Of course, it has an element of social criticism in it, but this is overshadowed by other themes such as loneliness, isolation, communication, identity, dreams and illusions, etc.

In what sense is The Caretaker a critique of Society?

Green Land | March 25, 2019 | 0 comments

The Caretaker a critique of Society

Harold Pinter , The Caretaker

Davies represent Everyman

Davies in The Caretaker is a prominent character whose life and problems can be seen as representing certain basic features that are shared by every human being.

The problems faced by Davies are the problems of normal human existence. He tries pathetically to cling to his dignity when society wants to deprive him of his rights. Davies is frightened of loneliness and anything he does not understand such as taxation, house purchase, and 'papers'. His fear of down payments, back payments, family allowances, bonus schemes is common enough to make it a standard human reaction. It may be that in Davies Pinter shows his audience an even more basic human instinct, that of territorial advantage, or the desire to gain dominance in any given situation. Davies certainly shows this in his dealings with Aston and Mick. His belief that he will 'sort himself out' when he gets down to Sidcup can be seen as representing all the things that people dream of doing, but never achieve. Davies represents all people who try to evade reality by dreams and fantasies.We can find other aspects in which Davies can be said to represent more than just his own self. He uses the language of the common man. Like any other human being, he is a wanderer who faces trials and tribulations during the journeys he makes. As a religious figure, he is poor, unmarried, and is rejected by his fellow men, and in this respect at least he can be compared to Jesus Christ.But if we are to see Davies as representative of mankind, we are to ignore many of his most obvious features. He is an outcast before he is rescued by Aston,an unprincipled vagrant, and a filthy, ill-clothed wreck of a man. Certainly there are many people like Davies in the world, but he is nevertheless an extreme case, a total loss of society, and hardly typical of all humanity. If he were Everyman, society would have ceased to exist thousands of years ago.

The problems of Davies are common enough for an audience to feel a degree of sympathy for him, and they are clearly drawn from the real world. Davies shows the dark said of life, in the form of loneliness, rejection, inadequacy, loss of personal identity, and failure, but however compelling the portrait might be, it is only one side of life. Therefore Davies is not unusual, but equally is not a representative of all humanity.

To sum up, Davies should not regarded as a symbol. He is a representative figure, no doubt, but his vision is limited to one side of human experience. So Davies should be seen not as Everyman but simply a part of man.

In what sense does Davies represent Everyman

Green Land | March 25, 2019 | 0 comments

Davies represent Everyman

Harold Pinter , The Caretaker

The setting and structure of the play The Caretaker

The setting of The Caretaker is realistic. The entire action of the play takes place in one room, which contributes to the mood and thematic development. The house itself is assumed to be located in hackney London. Symbolically the room, with its clutter of incongruous objects, helps us understand the clutter of Aston's mind. But there is more to the room than this. For one thing, it allows Pinter to explore an idea which features often in his plays--that is, the disruptive intrusion of an outsider (or out siders) into an established and safe environment. Although the room belongs to Mick, it is Aston's identity which it most represents. In this room he feels secure from the outside world. Davies seeks to oust him and establish himself in his place.

There are only three acts and three characters in the play, and no changes of scene, and by introducing the third character in Act 2 Pinter avoids what otherwise might have been a rather tedious lack of variety in the play. This small number of characters and the apparent simplicity of the plot, disguise the craft which has gone into the structure of the play. Each act builds to a memorable climax which focuses our attention on one of the characters. Act One concludes with the unexpected violence of Mick; Act Two with Aston's disturbing soliloquy; Act Three with the pathetic winning of Davies, whose attempt to secure his place in the room has ironically resulted in his expulsion.

The unity of the play is achieved not only by the careful pattern of the episodes involving Davies and one or other of the brothers, but also by the repetition of key words, phrases and actions. Among the most important of these are Aston's persistent fiddling with the electric plug and his comments about the shed, Davies's need for shoes, his journey to Sidcup, the fact that he smells, his fear of the gas stove, the noises he makes when he is sleeping and his complaints about the draught. These recurring preoccupations show how little has changed by the end of the play. Davies is once again an outcast, and the powerful relationship between Mick and Aston is as strong as ever.

The structure of the play is thus circular and the characters in the play are part of this structure, in that despite much talking and arguing they find themselves at the end in exactly the same position as they were at the start. It is as if the characters, like the plot, are locked in a circle out which they cannot break, and from which the only escape is a dream, be it Sidcup, or a refurbished house.