40 pages • 1 hour read
The Birthday Party
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Essay Topics
Research the concept of the Pinteresque, which describes the style of playwright Harold Pinter. What does the concept entail? What makes the play Pinteresque? Use specific details from the text to support your analysis.
The moment when Stanley “snaps” occurs when McCann snaps his glasses. Trace the glasses throughout the play as a symbol. What do they signify? How do they function in the text and the narrative?
The Birthday Party is considered part of the Theatre of the Absurd, the midcentury Western dramatist movement. Research the Theatre of the Absurd and explain the movement. Where did it come from, and why? What are typical conventions used by absurdist playwrights? What makes The Birthday Party absurd?
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