The Homecoming

Consider Max’s fortunes at the end of Act I and Act II. How does Pinter’s two-act structure help him tell this character’s story? What themes does the structure accentuate?

Ruth is The Homecoming’s only female character. Describe her journey over the course of the play. Is her story one of triumph or of tragedy?

Pinter contrasts the UK and the US in this play. From your reading of The Homecoming how would you characterize postwar Britain? How did it differ from postwar America? Can you think of other works of art from the same period that show either the persistence of World War II or culture’s emergence from its shadow?