The Birthday

Party
Study Guide by Course Hero

takes place during the birthday party that Meg arranges for
What's Inside Stanley.

j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1

d In Context ..................................................................................................... 1
d In Context
a Author Biography ..................................................................................... 3

h Characters .................................................................................................. 4 The Cold War

k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 7 The Cold War refers to a period of rivalry between the United
States and the Soviet Union that lasted from 1947 to 1991. The
c Act Summaries ........................................................................................ 12 United States government was concerned about Russian
leader Joseph Stalin's (1878–1953) tyrannical rule in his own
g Quotes ......................................................................................................... 15
country and post-World War II expansion in Eastern Europe.
m Themes ........................................................................................................ 17 Many Americans were worried that Russia had a plan to take
over the world. This perspective led to pervasive paranoia
about communism throughout the United States and a
competition between both countries over territories, weapons,
j Book Basics and space exploration. The Birthday Party was set during the
Cold War which fostered a sense of paranoia throughout the
world. The backdrop of mistrust affects how the characters
AUTHOR
relate to people and events.
Harold Pinter

Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1864–1965) who worked

YEAR PUBLISHED
amicably with Joseph Stalin at the end of World War II
1959
embraced an anti-communist view by 1946. He delivered his
GENRE famous "Iron Curtain" speech on March 5, 1946. Churchill
Comedy, Drama describes the iron curtain as the dividing line between free
people and those under the Soviet sphere of control. Britain
TENSE worked with the United States to create a partnership against
The Birthday Party is told from the third-person limited point of the Soviet Union but overall took a less confrontational
view. The audience has access to only the characters' words approach.
and actions.
Most officials from the United States agreed that containment
ABOUT THE TITLE was an effective strategy to eliminate the spread of
The Birthday Party is a comedy of menace which is a type of communism. George Kennan (1904–2005) explained the policy
writing that combines danger and comedy to invite the readers in an article called "The Long Telegram" (1947). This policy led
to form judgments about the characters. Most of the action to a buildup of nuclear weapons in both the United States and
The Birthday Party Study Guide
the Soviet Union. Fear of nuclear war led people to build bomb
shelters and to direct children to practice attack drills in
schools across the United States.
The first military action occurred in June 1950. The North
Korean People's Army that was supported by the Soviet Union
invaded South Korea. This action resulted in the Korean War
(1950–53). The war ended in 1953 in a stalemate with neither
country achieving significant gains. By 1955 the world was split
into two organizations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) and the Warsaw Pact. NATO was made up of 15
countries including the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Warsaw Pact was established by the Soviet Union and
included seven other communist countries.
British Theater in the 20th
Century
The 20th century welcomed new trends in British theater.
Political theater made its entrance in the early part of the
century. This genre focused on social issues that addressed
controversial topics such as religion and prostitution. George
Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) was an early influencer of this type
of theater. His play Mrs. Warren's Profession (1893) was
censored by the government and not performed until 1902.
The play centered on a mother who was a former prostitute
and the troubles she had with her daughter. Pinter's The
Birthday Party is a type of political theater. The play addresses
controversial issues such as mental illness, corruption, and
sexual misconduct.
The Workers' Theater Movement added to the political theater
genre with messages that encouraged socialism. It was formed
in 1917 in the Soviet Union and was influential from 1926 to
1935. This group allied with the communists, and their goal was
to promote social change through their plays.
Binkie Beaumont (1908–73) promoted a different type of
theater. Beaumont was a theater manager and producer
famous for the glamorous and opulent plays he produced. In
1947 Oklahoma (1947) opened in London. Other well-known
productions include West Side Story (1958) and My Fair Lady
(1958). He continued to produce such glitzy plays despite a
different type of drama that became popular in the 1950s.
A type of drama called kitchen-sink realism entered the theater
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In Context 2
world in the late 1950s. These dramas often included a
protagonist who was an angry young man. The protagonist is
the main character from the story and is facing challenges.
Stanley from The Birthday Party is such a protagonist. He is
frightened, angry, and unable to work or socialize. He would be
homeless if not for Meg and Petey's offer to stay at their home.
Kitchen-sink dramas often include dirty pubs and working-
class characters. Social issues such as homelessness and
prostitution are common in kitchen-sink dramas.
John Osborne's (1929–94) Look Back in Angie (1956) was a
landmark piece that led to types of writing that took a stance
on social and political norms. It was produced at the English
Stage Company. Osborne wanted the audience to understand
the characters' plight and feel their emotions. This play
inspired a new generation of writers that included Pinter. Small
venues supported these new writers before mainstream
theaters welcomed them.
Women's Roles
In the 1950s a woman's primary role was to stay at home and
be a good wife and mother. Her daily tasks included keeping
the house clean, cooking, doing laundry, and caring for the
children. Some homes did not have refrigerators or freezers,
so daily shopping was common. Small shops run by
shopkeepers were increasingly replaced by self-service shops
where women could select items from a shelf and pay for them
before leaving. The character Meg in The Birthday Party runs a
small boarding house where she attends to the needs of her
husband Petey and boarder Stanley. She enjoys running the
home but regularly looks for affirmation that she is being a
doting wife and providing for the men. Meg's opportunities to
contribute outside the home are limited, and her self-worth
centers on her housework.
Inequalities between women and men still existed despite
progress made by the women's suffrage movement. The
women's suffrage movement began in the late 1800s and
fought for women's right to vote which was granted in 1918 and
modified in 1928. The 1944 Education Act provided free
secondary education to all children. However, women's studies
continued to focus on homemaking. By 1954 too many girls
were passing the 11+ exam which is a rigorous entrance exam
for secondary school. A law was then passed to restrict the
number of girls who could continue their education which
consequently limited their access to knowledge and careers.
The Birthday Party Study Guide
a Author Biography
Early Life
Harold Pinter was a famous playwright, poet, director, and
actor. He was born on October 10, 1930, in Hackney, East
London, England. He was the only child of Hyman Pinter who
was a tailor (1902–97) and Frances Pinter (1904–92) who was
a homemaker.
Pinter was impacted significantly by events in his childhood. In
1940 the Germans began bombing London. Nine-year-old
Pinter and his family evacuated to the towns of Cornwall and
Reading in the United Kingdom. Pinter was traumatized by the
bombings which resulted in a life-long aversion to war. The
trauma also sparked an interest in dramatic writing. In 1944
Pinter returned to London and attended Hackney Grammar
School. His English teacher Joseph Brearley (1909–77) had a
tremendous influence on Pinter and cast him as Macbeth and
Romeo in productions Brearley directed. While at Hackney
Pinter studied works from Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821–81),
Franz Kafka (1883–1924), T.S. Eliot (1888–1965), D.H.
Lawrence (1885–1930), Virginia Woolf (1882–1941), and Ernest
Hemingway (1899–1961). In 1948 Pinter was accepted into the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. That same year he was called
up by the National Service, but he did not enlist. His refusal
resulted in a fine but not imprisonment. Pinter was accepted
into Central School of Speech and Drama in 1951. He
participated in Anew McMaster's famous Irish repertory where
he played many roles over the two years he was there.
In 1956 Pinter married actor Vivien Merchant (1929–82) who
provided much of the financial security early in their marriage.
They had one son Daniel (b. 1958). Pinter and Merchant
divorced in 1980, and he married author Lady Antonia Fraser
(b.1932). He had known Fraser since 1975. Pinter was a
stepfather to her six children from a previous marriage.
Career
Pinter toured repertory theaters using the stage name David
Baron from 1954 to 1959. He continued to write poems and
prose. He earned his first break in 1957 with his one-act drama
The Room (1957) and then later with The Dumb Waiter (1959).
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Author Biography 3
His first full-length play The Birthday Party (1957) originally
flopped. It opened at London's Lyric Theater on May 19,1958,
and ran for only eight nights before it was shut down. Only one
critic Harold Hobson (1904–92) of the Sunday Times was a fan
and wrote that Pinter was the "most original, disturbing and
arresting talent in theatrical London." The article in the Sunday
Times appeared the day after the show was cancelled. The
Birthday Party (1957) later received acclaim in 1968 when it
was turned into a film.
Pinter's success as a playwright was solidified with his second
full-length play The Caretaker (produced 1960). His next play
The Homecoming (1964) reached Broadway in 1967 and
brought Pinter additional fame. Other major works include
Landscape (1968), Silence (1969), Night (1969), Old Times
(1971), No Man's Land (1975), Betrayal (1978), Moonlight (1993),
and Celebration (2000). Pinter wrote radio and television
dramas as well as motion-picture screenplays. He also
directed over 50 productions that included works of other
writers. In addition, he took his talents to the stage as an actor.
He played Saul Abraham in Rogue Male (1976) for which he
received acclaim. He also played roles in Mojo (1997),
Mansfield (1998), and The Tailor of Panama (2001). In all Pinter
wrote 29 plays, penned 18 dramatic sketches, and co-authored
two plays.
By 1968 Pinter's style had changed from absurdism which is a
type of theater that portrays humans as lacking purpose and
self-control to a style that portrayed characteristics of human
memory. His plays took on a political focus in 1984. One for the
Road (1984) centered on power and powerlessness under
totalitarian rule. His political views about various causes were
evident in a collection of poems titled War (2003).
Recognition and Legacy
Pinter has been recognized internationally as a dramatist, poet,
actor, and director. Pinter was first recognized in 1966 when he
was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire. His
most notable achievement was earning the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 2005. The French Legion of Honor recognized
Pinter in 2007 with the noble title of chevalier which is similar
to that of a knight.
Pinter was a fighter for human rights and earned praise for
taking a stand on controversial issues. In 1999 he spoke out
against the NATO action in Serbia saying that the action was
The Birthday Party Study Guide
"outside the parameters of international law." He earned many
national and international awards as well as honorary degrees
from established universities. Pinter also received recognition
from film sources. He was a two-time Academy Award
nominee for best screenplay in 1982 for The French
Lieutenant's Woman (1981) and in 1984 for Betrayal (1983). The
screenplay for The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) was also
nominated for a Golden Globe and a British Academy of Film
and Television Arts (BAFTA) award in 1982.
Pinter's legacy lives on through the PEN Printer Prize which is
awarded each year to a writer from Britain, the Republic of
Ireland, or the Commonwealth. This award is given to a writer
who inspires truth through a body of plays, poetry, or fiction of
outstanding literary merit. On September, 7, 2011, the Royal
Comedy Theatre was renamed The Harold Pinter Theatre in
honor of Pinter's contribution to the Comedy Theatre. Pinter's
work has been honored through a production called Pinter at
the Pinter which is a series of one-act plays. Pinter died on
December 24, 2008, in London, England.
h Characters
Stanley
Stanley is unkempt and lazy. He has been staying with Meg
and Petey since a traumatizing event where he was locked in a
concert hall a year ago. Stanley depends on Meg's kindness
but is often cruel to her. Stanley grows increasingly agitated
when two guests Goldberg and McCann arrive at Meg's home.
He suffers an emotional breakdown at a birthday party Meg
throws for him.
Meg
Meg enjoys caring for her husband and her guest Stanley. She
is happy to cook breakfast for them. She seeks reassurance
from men through tending to their needs and some flirting. She
is afraid of not being liked. Meg organizes a birthday party for
Stanley. She wants to make it a perfect celebration. She
worries when Stanley breaks down at the party and does not
realize how disturbed Stanley is.
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Characters 4
Petey
Petey comes and goes from his home throughout the day. He
attends to the deck chairs early in the morning and then
expects his wife to bring him breakfast. He responds to her
chatter while he reads the paper. Petey is not at the party
where Stanley breaks down because he is out playing chess.
He shows that he cares about Stanley when he tells Goldberg
and McCann that they cannot take Stanley away. At the end he
does not tell Meg that the men took Stanley away.
Lulu
Lulu comes into Meg and Petey's home to drop off a parcel.
She is concerned about Stanley's appearance and tells him
that he needs to take better care of himself. She rejects his
flirtations. Lulu attends the birthday party Meg throws for
Stanley and shows interest in Goldberg. She flirts with him and
sits on his lap. She is angry at him the next day when she sees
him for the way he treated her after the party.
Goldberg
Goldberg selects McCann to do a job for him that involves
Stanley. Goldberg is a charmer and gives compliments to Meg
when he notices that she enjoys them. He is excited to learn
that Stanley is the man he is looking to question. Goldberg is
the one who directs the interrogation of Stanley. He thinks that
McCann is too nervous and tells him to calm down. He is not
regretful when Lulu accuses him of inappropriate behavior the
night of the party.
McCann
McCann works for Goldberg and is the one who is responsible
for getting the job done. He is not personable with others and
says very little. He purposely breaks Stanley's glasses during
the birthday party and puts the toy drum in Stanley's path.
McCann talks with Stanley early the next morning in his room
and keeps Meg from coming in.
The Birthday Party Study Guide Characters 5

Character Map

Meg
Needy, nurturing
homemaker; entertainer

Friends Spouses

Caretaker

Lulu Petey
Flirtatious young woman Absent, desk-chair
Acquaintances attendant; entertainer

Host
Stanley
Unstable former pianist

Sexual
offender
Adversary
Abuser

Goldberg McCann
Smooth-talking Grim, awkward Irish man
Jewish man Co-conspirators

Main Character

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The Birthday Party Study Guide Characters 6

Other Major Character

Minor Character

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The Birthday Party Study Guide
Full Character List
Character Description
Stanley is a former pianist in his late 30s.
Stanley He has been staying at Meg and Petey's
home for the past year.
Meg is a middle-​aged woman who owns a
boarding house with her husband Petey.
Meg
She looks for affirmation from others,
particularly men.
Petey is a middle-​aged man who owns a
Petey boarding house with his wife Meg. He is a
deck-​chair attendant.
Lulu is a young friend of Petey and Meg's.
Lulu
She is friendly with Stanley.
Goldberg is a smooth-​talking Jewish man
Goldberg
who enjoys talking about himself.
McCann is the man Goldberg hires to do
McCann
dirty work for him.
k Plot Summary
Act 1
The setting is the living room of a house in a seaside town in
England. There is a door that leads to a hallway in addition to a
back door and small window. One wall in the living room has an
opening through which the kitchen area is visible.
A middle-aged woman named Meg serves breakfast
cornflakes to her husband Petey who sits at the table. Petey
reads the paper and the two of them make small talk. Meg
asks if Stanley is up and talks about how she used to enjoy
watching Stanley play piano. Petey shares that he spoke with
two men the night before who asked for a room for a couple of
nights. Stanley comes downstairs after Meg calls for him. He is
unshaven and wears glasses. He complains about the
cornflakes Meg serves him and his lack of sleep that night. He
is grumpy and disrespectful to Meg and demands that she
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Plot Summary 7
prepare a hot breakfast for him. After Petey leaves Stanley
taunts Meg by telling her that she is a bad wife. An odd
exchange ensues between Meg and Stanley that alternates
between insults and flirtation. Meg informs Stanley that two
men will be staying with them for a while. He is alarmed about
the men but eventually says that he does not think they will
show up.
Meg and Stanley talk about his piano playing. Stanley claims
that he has played all over the world before clarifying that he
once gave a concert. He then describes how someone played
a practical joke on him one time and locked him in the hall
where he was to perform. He left for good the next day and
has been with Meg and Petey ever since. Stanley taunts Meg
about a van with a wheelbarrow coming to take someone
away.
Meg's friend Lulu enters with a parcel after Meg departs. Lulu
is appalled at Stanley's appearance and suggests that he take
better care of himself. Stanley invites Lulu to come away with
him which she dismisses before she leaves.
The two men that Petey mentioned the night before arrive at
the home. McCann and Goldberg enter with baggage through
the front door and discuss whether they are in the right house.
McCann is nervous. Goldberg rattles on about his Uncle
Barney.
Meg returns and welcomes Golberg. Goldberg and Meg talk
about Stanley, and then she invites both men to a birthday
party that she will be having for him that night. Goldberg is
excited about the party that Stanley knows nothing about.
After the men leave, Stanley enters. He asks about the two
men and demands to know their names. Stanley is unnerved by
their arrival and sits slowly at the table. Meg tries to cheer him
up by giving him his birthday present. Stanley denies that it is
his birthday but opens the package to find a boy's drum. He
puts the rope around his neck and begins to march around the
room drumming. The regular rhythm evolves into a frenzied
banging before Stanley loses control of himself.
Act 2
McCann tears a newspaper into five equal strips at the table.
Stanley enters and the men introduce themselves to each
other. Stanley is sure that he has met McCann before, but
McCann denies it. The men discuss business. Stanley
The Birthday Party Study Guide
describes his quiet life at the house to McCann. Stanley pleads
with McCann for information about why he is there. Then he
shares his love for Ireland and invites McCann out for a
Guinness which is a type of Irish beer. All the while McCann
just listens. Stanley is afraid and tries to recruit McCann away
from Goldberg. McCann does not budge.
Petey enters with Goldberg and introduces him to Stanley.
Goldberg reminisces about a beautiful girl from his youth.
Petey departs for his chess night which leaves Stanley alone
with the two men. They cross-examine Stanley and ask him
questions about leaving the organization and a supposed wife.
McCann accuses Stanley of betraying them. Goldberg orders
McCann to remove Stanley's glasses and continues to fire
questions at Stanley. The questions eventually become
ridiculous. By this time Stanley is sweating and moaning.
Meg interrupts the scene and enters wearing an evening dress
ready to begin the party. She is oblivious to what has
transpired among the men. Four bottles of Scotch and one
bottle of Irish whiskey are brought out for the party. Meg
enjoys the flirty behavior from Goldberg. They prepare to toast
Stanley's birthday by turning off the light and shining a torch on
Stanley's frightened face. Lulu walks in and Goldberg is
immediately enamored with her. The two begin to flirt.
Goldberg offers a toast and the festivities begin. Stanley is
quiet.
Meg suggests playing a game called blind man's buff where
one person is blindfolded and must find one of the others
standing in the room. They take turns being blindfolded.
McCann begrudgingly takes his turn as well. McCann asks for
Stanley's glasses, and Meg secures the scarf around Stanley's
eyes. McCann then snaps the frames of Stanley's glasses and
puts the drum in Stanley's path. Stanley walks into the drum
and falls over. He rises and reaches Meg. He begins to strangle
her just as the lights go out. Lulu stumbles and falls while the
rest of the partygoers fumble for the torch. McCann eventually
finds the torch and shines it on the table where they find
Stanley giggling over Lulu on the table. Stanley backs up
against the wall and his laughter grows louder.
Act 3
The next morning Petey enters and sits down at the dining
room table. Meg does not remember much and is disappointed
that the drum was broken during the party. She is worried
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Plot Summary 8
about Stanley who has not come down for breakfast yet. Meg
notices a big car and worries that there might be a
wheelbarrow in it. Petey reassures her and tells her that
Goldberg owns that car.
Goldberg comes down from upstairs and Meg leaves for the
store to buy food. Goldberg tells Petey that Stanley needs to
see a doctor for his nervous breakdown. Goldberg explains
that these things can happen suddenly sometimes. Petey says
that he will take Stanley to the doctor if he is not better by
noon, but Goldberg tells him it has all been handled.
McCann comes down and tells Goldberg that Stanley has been
upstairs trying to fit the eyeholes of the broken glasses into his
eyes. Goldberg tells Petey that they will be gone by lunchtime.
He will take Stanley to the doctor.
Neither Goldberg nor McCann want to bring Stanley
downstairs. McCann is agitated. Lulu enters from upstairs. She
is angry at Goldberg and accuses him of taking advantage of
her. He responds by trying to flirt with her. McCann enters and
taunts Lulu by asking her to confess. She angrily leaves after
telling the men that she knows what is going on.
Stanley enters with a bowler hat in one hand and his broken
glasses in the other. He stares and does not talk. Goldberg and
McCann take turns telling Stanley what he needs. The
suggestions become more ridiculous as they continue. Stanley
is unable to speak. Petey arrives just as the men prepare to
take Stanley out the door. Petey is angry and demands that
they leave Stanley alone. He yells to Stanley to resist. The men
leave with Stanley. Meg returns, and Petey tells Meg that
Stanley is still asleep upstairs.
The Birthday Party Study Guide Plot Summary 9

Plot Diagram

Climax

7
10 Falling Action
Rising Action
6
11
5

4 12

3 Resolution

2
1

Introduction

Introduction Climax

1. Meg serves breakfast to Petey and Stanley. 9. Petey and Goldberg discuss Stanley's nervous breakdown.

Rising Action Falling Action

2. Stanley tells Meg a wheelbarrow will take her away. 10. Stanley is helped downstairs and cannot speak.

3. Meg tells Stanley about two male guests due to arrive. 11. Goldberg and McCann leave with Stanley.

4. Meg decides to throw Stanley a birthday party.

5. Meg gives a toy drum to Stanley for his birthday.

Resolution
6. Goldberg and McCann interrogate Stanley.
12. Petey tells Meg that Stanley is upstairs sleeping.
7. The guests play the game blind man's buff at the party.

8. Stanley strangles Meg and forces Lulu across a table.

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The Birthday Party Study Guide Plot Summary 10

Timeline of Events

Day 1 morning

Meg serves cornflakes and fried bread to Petey.

Same morning

Stanley comes downstairs. He complains about the food

Meg serves.

Same morning

Stanley taunts Meg about being a bad wife after Petey

leaves.

Same morning

Meg tells Stanley about two male guests due to arrive.

Same morning

Stanley explains how he was locked in a concert hall

where he was expected to play.

Same morning

Stanley tells Meg a wheelbarrow will take her away. She

becomes frightened.

Same morning

Meg decides to throw Stanley a birthday party. She

invites Goldberg, McCann, and Lulu.

Same morning

Meg gives a toy drum to Stanley for his birthday. He

beats it rhythmically and then erratically.

Day 1 evening

Goldberg and McCann interrogate Stanley and cause

him to scream.

Same evening

The guests play blind man's buff at the party.

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The Birthday Party Study Guide Plot Summary 11

Same evening

McCann breaks Stanley's glasses and places the toy

drum in front of him.

Same evening

Stanley strangles Meg after he trips over the drum and

breaks it.

Same evening

Stanley is bent over Lulu who is on the table when the

lights come on. He is laughing.

Day 2 morning

Petey and Goldberg discuss Stanley's nervous

breakdown while McCann is upstairs with Stanley.

Same morning

Lulu confronts Goldberg about taking advantage of her

at the birthday party.

Same morning

Stanley is helped downstairs and cannot speak.

Same morning

Goldberg and McCann leave with Stanley.

Same morning

Petey tells Meg that Stanley is upstairs sleeping.

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The Birthday Party Study Guide Act Summaries 12

coming to take someone away. A knock interrupts the

c Act Summaries exchange. Meg's friend Lulu enters with a parcel that she is
leaving for Meg and Petey. Lulu examines Stanley and tells him
that he needs to take care of his appearance because he looks

Act 1 terrible. Suddenly Stanley invites Lulu to come away with him
which she dismisses before leaving. Stanley exits too.

Two men named McCann and Goldberg knock on the front

Summary door and then enter the living room with baggage. McCann is
concerned about whether they are at the correct house.
The setting is a living room of a house in a seaside town in Goldberg tells him to relax and rattles on about his Uncle
England. One wall in the living room has an opening through Barney. Goldberg also tells McCann that he is right for the job
which the kitchen area is visible. ahead of him. Meg returns and welcomes the guests. Goldberg
and Meg discuss their permanent guest Stanley, and both men
A middle-aged woman named Meg serves cornflakes to her
listen attentively. Meg invites both men to a birthday party that
husband Petey at the table. Petey reads the paper and the two
she will be having for Stanley that night. Goldberg is excited
of them talk. Meg asks if their boarding guest Stanley is up yet
about the party that Stanley knows nothing about. The men
and talks about how she used to enjoy watching Stanley play
exit, and Stanley enters just before Meg comes from the
piano. She surprises Petey with two pieces of fried bread
outside. He asks about the two men and demands to know
which he enjoys. Petey shares that he spoke with two men the
their names. He is able to figure out the name Goldberg from
night before who asked for a room for a couple of nights. Meg
what Meg says. He sits slowly at the table when she confirms
assures him that she has a lovely room ready for them. Their
the name. Meg tries to cheer him up by giving him his birthday
attention turns back to Stanley who still has not made an
present. Stanley denies that it is his birthday but opens the
appearance. Stanley comes downstairs after Meg calls for him.
present to find a boy's drum. He puts the rope around his neck
He is unshaven and wears glasses. Stanley complains about
and begins to march around the room drumming. The regular
the cornflakes Meg serves him and his lack of sleep that night.
rhythm evolves into a frenzied banging before Stanley loses
He is grumpy and disrespectful to Meg and demands that she
control of himself.
prepare a hot breakfast for him.

After Petey leaves for work Stanley taunts Meg by telling her
that she is a bad wife. An odd exchange ensues between Meg
Analysis
and Stanley. It alternates between insults and flirtation. Meg is
Most of the time Meg is a caring and cheery woman. However,
offended when Stanley uses the word "succulent" and tells him
she reveals underlying insecurities through her relationships
that he should not use that word with a married woman. He
with others. Meg seeks affirmation from Petey that she is
apologizes to her and then calls her a "succulent old washing
managing their home well. She asks Petey repeatedly if the
bag." She is initially defensive and shortly after asks him if she
food she prepares is tasty and if their home is suitable for
is indeed succulent. Meg informs Stanley that two men will be
guests. She also likes to take care of Stanley who she treats
staying with them for a bit. He is curious about the men but
almost as if he were her child. She keeps track of whether he is
eventually says that he does not think they will show up.
awake or had breakfast. She encourages Stanley to play the
Stanley announces that he has been offered a job playing piano again and cheers him on like a mother. Meg needs
piano in a nightclub in Berlin. He claims that he has played all reassurance from Petey and Stanley. She tells Stanley, "You
over the world but then clarifies that he once gave a concert. won't get any breakfast better than here." She is looking for
Stanley describes how someone played a practical joke on him confirmation that her cooking is good. She becomes very upset
one time and locked him in the hall where he was to perform. when Stanley tells her that she is a bad wife and shows her
After he was released the next morning he left for good. He sensitivity to criticism.
has been with Meg and Petey ever since. Stanley stands up
Stanley's mental issues are unveiled early in the play. His
and faces Meg to taunt her about a van with a wheelbarrow
disheveled appearance reflects his lack of personal hygiene.

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The Birthday Party Study Guide
He is argumentative and disrespectful. He expects Meg to
prepare his breakfast and then complains that the cornflakes
are terrible. Stanley enjoys upsetting Meg. He ignores her
request to not use the word "succulent" around her and
instead repeats it again and again. He tries to terrify her when
he suggests that someone will take her away and warns,
"They've got a wheelbarrow ... they're looking for someone." He
delights in her fearful reaction. He also needs her and tells her
in another moment that he does not know what he would do
without her. The dynamic between Stanley and Meg resembles
a dysfunctional relationship between a troubled teenager and
his mother.
The lighthearted mood changes when Goldberg and McCann
enter the home. This shift is typical of a comedy of menace
which is a type of play where danger follows a moment of
laughter. Stanley becomes nervous as soon as Meg mentions
that two men inquired about staying at the house. Goldberg
and McCann do not share the reason for their visit. However,
there are some vague references that indicate danger for
Stanley. McCann asks what the job will entail. Goldberg
responds with "All is dependent on the attitude of our subject."
This statement is embedded in a rambling explanation of what
will happen which brings ridiculousness to the scene.
Act 2
Summary
Stanley enters the dining room where McCann is tearing a
newspaper into five equal strips. The men introduce
themselves to each other. McCann discourages Stanley from
leaving the house and shares that Meg has set up a birthday
party for him. Stanley is sure that he has met McCann before,
but McCann denies it. The men discuss business. Stanley
describes his quiet life at the house and emphasizes that he is
the same man he has always been. Stanley becomes agitated
and pleads with McCann for information about why he is there.
He invites McCann out for a type of Irish beer called Guinness
and shares his love for Ireland while McCann listens. Petey and
Goldberg enter from outside, and Petey introduces Goldberg
to Stanley. Goldberg reminisces about a beautiful girl from his
youth before Petey leaves for his chess night. They cross-
examine Stanley by asking him questions about leaving the
organization and a wife. Goldberg orders McCann to remove
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Act Summaries 13
Stanley's glasses. The questions eventually become ridiculous.
By this time Stanley is sweating and moaning.
Meg enters wearing an evening dress and ready to begin the
party. She is oblivious to what has transpired among the men.
Four bottles of Scotch and one bottle of Irish whiskey are
brought out for the party. Meg enjoys a little bit of flirtation
from Goldberg. The guests prepare to toast Stanley's birthday.
McCann turns off the light and shines a torch onto Stanley's
frightened face. Lulu walks into the room just as Meg finishes
the toast. Goldberg is immediately enamored with Lulu and the
two begin flirting. Goldberg offers a toast and the festivities
begin. Stanley is quiet.
Meg suggests playing a game called blind man's buff where
one person is blindfolded and must find one of the others
standing in the room. They take their turns being blindfolded.
When it is Stanley's turn, McCann asks for Stanley's glasses.
Meg secures the scarf around Stanley's eyes. McCann
suddenly snaps the frames of Stanley's glasses and breaks
them. He places the drum in Stanley's path. Stanley walks into
the drum and falls over. He rises and approaches Meg. Stanley
begins to strangle her just as the lights go out. Lulu stumbles
and falls while the rest of them fumble for the torch. McCann
eventually finds the torch and shines it on the table where they
find Stanley giggling over Lulu on the table. Stanley backs up
against the wall and laughs.
Analysis
Stanley begins to lose composure once he is alone with
Goldberg and McCann. The men begin drilling Stanley with
questions and give him little time to think between each one.
The tension builds and then turns humorous when Stanley
refuses to sit down. The questions become more ridiculous
and the tempo of the questioning speeds up. Goldberg asks
Stanley, "Why do you pick your nose?" Stanley does not
respond. The men intend to rattle Stanley and are successful.
The birthday party is awkward before it begins. Stanley denies
that it is his birthday and does not want to attend. Either Meg is
wrong about the day or Stanley does not want any
unnecessary attention. McCann blocks his exit and guilts
Stanley into staying. There is an odd assortment of guests who
barely know one another. Meg is most excited, and it is as if
the party is for her instead of Stanley. She looks for
compliments on the evening dress that she wears to the casual
The Birthday Party Study Guide
party. No one seems to notice poor Stanley who is quiet and
frightened. The drinking and celebrating continue as if he is not
there.
The game that Lulu chooses for the party is blind man's buff
which is also symbolic of the action in the play. Stanley is
essentially blind without his glasses. He is also blind to what
the men will do to him. The word "buff" is used to mean a small
push. Goldberg and McCann push the blind man Stanley to the
edge of his sanity. Additionally, the audience is blind to what
the protagonist Stanley is facing. Goldberg and McCann do not
say what Stanley has done or what they will do with him. There
are more questions than answers in the dialogue, and
Goldberg talks in generalities at times such as when he states,
"We admit possibility only after we grant necessity." Each
conversation presents questions but no answers.
Act 3
Summary
The next morning Petey enters from outside the home and sits
at the table. He and Meg discuss the events from the night
before. Meg does not remember much and is disappointed that
the drum was broken during the party. She is worried about
Stanley who has not come down for breakfast yet. Meg
assumes that McCann and Stanley are old friends because
McCann was with Stanley in his room earlier. Meg notices a big
car and worries that there might be a wheelbarrow in it. Petey
reassures her and tells her that it is Goldberg's car.
Goldberg comes down from upstairs. Meg leaves for the store.
Petey asks if Stanley is feeling better. Goldberg tells him that
Stanley needs to see a doctor for his nervous breakdown.
Goldberg explains that these things can happen suddenly
sometimes. Petey says that he will take Stanley to the doctor if
he is not better by noon, but Goldberg tells him that it has all
been handled.
McCann comes down and tells Goldberg that Stanley has been
upstairs trying to fit the eyeholes of his broken glasses into his
eyes. Goldberg announces that he is taking Stanley to the
doctor. He tells Petey that they will be gone by lunchtime.
Petey leaves.
Neither Goldberg nor McCann want to bring Stanley
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Act Summaries 14
downstairs. McCann is agitated. Goldberg yells at McCann for
calling him Simey which is a childhood name and then begins a
rant about his life, values, and accomplishments. He ends by
asking McCann to blow into Goldberg's mouth which he does.
Lulu enters from upstairs. She is angry at Goldberg and
accuses him of taking advantage of her. He responds by trying
to flirt with her. McCann enters and taunts Lulu by asking her
to confess. She angrily leaves after telling the men that she
knows what is going on.
Stanley enters with a bowler hat in one hand and his broken
glasses in the other. He stares and does not talk. Goldberg and
McCann take turns telling Stanley what he needs. The
suggestions become more ridiculous as they continue. Stanley
is unable to speak. Petey arrives just as the men prepare to
take Stanley out the door. Petey is angry and demands that
they leave Stanley alone and yells to Stanley to resist. The men
leave with Stanley.
Meg returns and asks about Stanley. Petey tells Meg that
Stanley is still asleep. She is excited that Petey agrees she was
the belle of the ball.
Analysis
The next morning is not a good one for many of the party
guests. The worst victim is Stanley who can no longer talk and
tries to insert broken glasses into his eyes. He can only
respond with grunts and groans. McCann is also suffering. He
says, "I'm not going up there again." He is uncomfortable with
whatever has transpired upstairs. Goldberg is rattled also. He
tells McCann that he is unusually tired before launching into
another reminiscence from his past. Lulu adds to the drama
when she confronts Goldberg. She accuses him of taking
advantage of her the night before. He tries to charm her but
she refutes his advances and leaves.
Stanley's threats about the wheelbarrow coming to take
someone away have come true. It is ironic that Stanley is the
victim because he thought Meg would be taken and not him.
Goldberg and McCann are the wheelbarrow that takes a
lifeless Stanley away. Goldberg's large car that Meg asked
about is the ominous van that she fears. Stanley is the victim of
his own threats. It is not clear where the men are taking
Stanley, but it is certain that he will not be returning home.
The comic relief centers on Meg who remembers nothing
The Birthday Party Study Guide
about the night before. She tells Petey that it was a wonderful
party, but she is sad that the drum was broken. She happily
heads to the store so that she can prepare a nice meal for the
men and fulfill her role of homemaker. She believes that
Stanley is still upstairs sleeping, and Petey does not tell her
otherwise. Meg falls back into her household chores blissfully
unaware that Stanley is about to embark on an unknown path.
g Quotes
"I used to like watching Stanley
play the piano."
— Meg, Act 1
Meg refers to a time when Stanley would play the piano for
her. She enjoys watching him like she would her own child.
Meg's affection for Stanley makes her blind to and more
forgiving of his treatment of her.
"You won't get a better breakfast
there than here."
— Meg, Act 1
Meg gives this response when Stanley threatens to find a
different place to stay. He is angry because she refuses to fix a
hot breakfast for him. Stanley recognizes her vulnerabilities
and manipulates Meg to get what he wants. He knows that
Meg thrives on compliments and is concerned about how
others view her.
"I don't know what I'd do without
you."
— Stanley, Act 1
Stanley unexpectedly validates Meg and her need for
acceptance when he expresses his appreciation of her. The
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Quotes 15
moment of kindness is brief before he insults her tea. Stanley
and Meg have a codependent relationship. They need each
other in an unhealthy, self-serving way.
"Forget all about it. It's a false
alarm."
— Stanley, Act 1
Stanley does not believe that the two men Meg referred to are
coming to the house. He says this statement aloud as if to calm
his worries. The use of the word "alarm" shows that he is
suspicious of these men. It also suggests that Stanley has a
past that he has not shared with Meg and Petey.
"I've played all over the world ... I
once gave a concert."
— Stanley, Act 1
Stanley talks about his concert pianist career with Meg. He
brags about an extensive career and then reveals he gave one
concert. His piano days ended when he was locked inside a
concert hall. He realized then that he had no future in music
and fled in search of shelter. Stanley changed the course of his
life when he arrived at the boarding house where Meg and
Petey welcomed him.
"Listen. You knew what I was
talking about before, didn't you?"
— Stanley, Act 2
Stanley knows why Goldberg and McCann are at the house.
Stanley tells McCann that he knows him from the past, but
McCann does not agree. Stanley tries to get McCann on his
side to protect himself from Goldberg.
The Birthday Party Study Guide Quotes 16

interest in doing much. Petey normally tells Meg that Stanley

"Is the number 846 possible or
should spend more time out of his bedroom. Petey says this
necessary?" because he knows that Stanley has suffered an emotional
breakdown.
— Goldberg, Act 2

Goldberg asks Stanley this question during the interrogation.

"Yes, she does sometimes.
Goldberg tells Stanley that his answer is incorrect and Sometimes she forgets."
provides a reason that makes little sense. The peppering of
questions and ridiculous explanations antagonizes Stanley who
— Petey, Act 3
is eventually so upset that he is unable to respond.

Meg can be forgetful and scatterbrained. She is unable to

"What makes you think you exist?"
— Goldberg, Act 2
Goldberg tells Stanley that what he is doing is not considered
living and implies that Stanley is a shell of the man he once
was. Stanley does not live, think, or love. Stanley begins to
sweat and moan as his emotional breakdown begins.
"He's lived here a long while now
and he's my Stanley now."
manage multiple tasks at once. Petey recognizes this and is
patient with her. Petey does not point out her shortcomings
like Stanley does because he knows that she would be upset if
she made a mistake. Petey may not be fully attentive to Meg,
but he is sensitive to her feelings.
"There is no guarantee how ... but
with certain people ... it's a
foregone conclusion."
— Goldberg, Act 3

— Meg, Act 2 Goldberg explains to Petey how Stanley could suddenly have a
nervous breakdown. Goldberg suggests a character flaw in
Stanley that predicts this type of mental illness.
Meg is so needy of Stanley that she refers to him as a
possession. She becomes jealous and possessive when he
talks of leaving. Her affections for him are distorted and
unhealthy. Meg's husband Petey is gone more than he is
"Aren't you going back to the
present. He leaves for work several times a day and plays beach?"
chess one night per week. When Petey is home he is usually
distracted and reads the newspaper.
— Goldberg, Act 3

"But you say he stays in bed too Goldberg asks Petey if he will head back to the beach. He tells
Petey that the beach will be busy and he will be needed.
much." Goldberg does not want anyone around when he and McCann
walk Stanley out of the house.
— Meg, Act 3

Stanley shows signs of being depressed because he lacks

"Have you got anything to

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The Birthday Party Study Guide
confess?"
— McCann, Act 3
McCann assumes that Lulu is a prostitute when she comes
down the stairs because he witnessed the flirting between her
and Goldberg the night before. McCann does not know that
Goldberg violated Lulu when she was drunk. This information
adds irony to McCann's comment because Lulu lost her
innocence to Goldberg.
"It was a lovely party. I haven't
laughed so much in years."
— Meg, Act 3
Meg's description of the birthday party is far removed from the
reality of the evening. She remembers that the drum broke but
does not remember that Stanley tried to strangle her and
attacked Lulu. Meg has no idea that Stanley is suffering
upstairs and is unable to speak. She chooses to remember
only what makes her happy.
m Themes
Fear
The fear of danger is ever present in The Birthday Party.
Stanley is scared of the two strangers who plan to stay at Meg
and Petey's home. Stanley's suspicion of the men suggests
that Stanley has a shady past. He is sure that he has met
McCann before when they first talk, and he grows increasingly
agitated the longer he is with them. Goldberg and McCann's
intense interrogation drives Stanley to a state of panic. His
rhythmic drumming on his toy drum reveals his anxiety as it
evolves into a frenzied banging. By the time they play a game
at his birthday party Stanley is no longer in control of himself.
Stanley transmits some of his own fears to Meg by making her
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Themes 17
believe that someone wishes to take her away. Meg believes
what Stanley tells her which is that there are people who want
to take her away in a wheelbarrow to a van. Meg sees the large
car that belongs to Goldberg and worries that it is there to take
her away. Meg also fears abandonment. She is worried that
Stanley will leave the home. This is the reason she takes care
of him despite the disrespectful and mean way he treats her.
It is ironic that both men that pose a threat to Stanley also
struggle with fear. Irony is the use of words to show the
opposite of what is expected. McCann is hired to do a job that
will cause harm to Stanley. He is one of the men that Stanley
fears. However, McCann fears what he will be asked to do. He
pleads with Goldberg for information to no avail. Goldberg is
uneasy about facing Stanley after the birthday party and tells
McCann that he does not feel well. Goldberg typically calms his
own anxieties with stories from his youth that often have
nothing to do with what is happening at the moment.
Loneliness
Stanley is the most isolated of the characters. He has very little
contact with anyone outside Meg and Petey's house. He has
no contact with his family. He chooses to spend much of his
day in his bedroom and usually only comes down for meals.
Stanley is attracted to Lulu, but rather than engaging with her
he offers awkward suggestions. He rejects human contact
despite being lonely. He is unkempt and does not take care of
himself. He is rude and ungrateful. Stanley has built walls to
protect himself, and loneliness is the cost he is willing to pay.
Meg's cheery disposition covers her loneliness. She needs to
have people around, even Stanley who is cruel to her at times.
Meg craves attention from her husband Petey who is often
absent. He is in and out of the house all day and has a
scheduled chess night each week. Petey is also distracted
when he is home. At breakfast he listens halfheartedly to her
chatter. Meg compensates by hosting an unwanted birthday
party for Stanley. She invites Goldberg and McCann who are
strangers to all of them. She wants to be seen as the "belle of
the ball" by Petey, Stanley, and Goldberg. She enjoys feeling
valued and she needs it.
The Birthday Party Study Guide Themes 18

Absurdity

Absurdity is a staple in Pinter's plays. The tension of the

menace is interrupted by examples of ridiculous humor
throughout. Meg's reaction to the ominous wheelbarrow is one
example. Stanley tells Meg that there are people looking for
her that will take her away by wheelbarrow to a van. The threat
is so illogical that the threat becomes funny when Meg reacts
with fear. The juxtaposition or positioning of opposing
elements side by side adds to this comedy of menace. Menace
and comedy stir contrasting feelings in the audience.

Goldberg and McCann's interrogation of Stanley is initially

intense and relentless. They hammer Stanley with questions so
quickly that Stanley answers before he even knows what the
question is. The interrogation eventually resorts to
ridiculousness. This type of sequence occurs again the
morning after the birthday party when the men take Stanley
away. The back-and-forth comments from Goldberg and
McCann resemble a comedic routine.

Stanley's descent into a nervous breakdown is also

complicated by the absurd. Meg gives Stanley a toy drum
which he puts around his neck like a young boy. He marches
around the room drumming until he suddenly becomes
anxious. His drumming turns into frenzied pounding, and he
loses control like a child having a temper tantrum. He falls
apart completely at his birthday party when he is found leaning
over Lulu who is pinned to the table. He backs himself against
the wall and laughs like a crazy man. The climax or turning
point of the play combines tragedy with absurdity to stimulate
a complex array of emotions from the audience.

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