Study Guide by Arpita Karwa

Birthday Party by Harold Pinter

hardly able to speak. Goldberg and McCann tell Petey

that they are taking him to Doctor Monty. Petey is
suspicious of their intentions. However, both men soon
escort Stanley out of the resort. Petey shouts and says
“Stan, don’t let them tell you what to do!” Meg returns.
Petey tells her that Stanley is resting upstairs. The play
ends with both talking about the birthday party last
night.

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co
The Birthday Party is a three-act play written in 1975. It is
one of the most celebrated works of Harold Pinter.

Petey and his wife Meg Boles own a boarding house on

the coast of England. Both are talking about their only

Soon, Petey leaves for work. Meg wakes Stanley and

prepares tea for him. She asks him about his musical
a.
tenant Stanley Webber and two other prospective tenants.
w
career. Soon, she also leaves and Lulu enters with a pack-
age. Lulu berates Stanley for being anti-social and leaves.

Two men McCann and Goldberg enter. Both have come

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with the intention to locate Stanley. Meg returns back and

the two men introduce themselves. Meg now looks for
ka

Stanley and says that it is his birthday. The two men

suggest that there should be a birthday party. Meg guides
them to their room and comes back to Stanley - who says
that although it is not his birthday, he accepted the pack-
age Lulu delivered. The package contains a drum.
ta

McCann and Goldberg are discussing the birthday party.

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Stanley tells McCann to celebrate it himself. Stanley

attempts to vacate the resort but McCann stops him and
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says they have met before. Petey announces he can't attend

the party as it’s his chess night. Stanley resorts to Goldberg
and tries to convince him to be able to leave the resort.
Goldberg changes the topic and begins a conversation
ar

about celebrating life.

Meg enters the birthday party with the toy drum sent in
the package. Goldberg and McCann enjoy the party while
the spotlight is on Stanley, the birthday boy. Lulu joins
them too. They decide to play a game called “blind man’s
buff” in which one person is blindfolded and is required to
find all the others due to which there was great commo-
tion at the party. Stanley’s health deteriorated.

Next morning, when Stanley comes downstairs, he is

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 Study Guide by Arpita Karwa

Mind Map

Petey
Co-owner of the
boarding house

Wife
Visiter
Visiter Millamant
Lulu Boarding
Meg’s acquaintance and a
visitor to the boarding house. House

Tenants Meg
Wife of Petey and co-owner
of the boarding house

Desirable and foolish

young man

Stanley Mc Cann Goldberg

Protagonist of the play Jewish man hired by an unnamed
Goldberg’s assistant organization to take Stanley
away from the boarding house.

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