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The Birthday Party | Essays and Criticism

• The Birthday Party as a Work of Anti-Text

  In this essay Fiero discusses The Birthday Party as a work of anti-text, pure theater that gains great power at points where language fails or simply eludes logical analysis.

• Overview of The Birthday Party

  In the following essay, Pountney provides an overview of Pinter's first full-length play, delineating the primary plot points and discussing the work's major themes.

• Review of The Birthday Party

  In this excerpt, Disch favorably reviews a 1988 revival production of Pinter's play. In addition to affirming the power of the playwright's text, this production, in the critic's opinion, offers skilled direction and powerful performances.

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1. The Birthday Party: Introduction
2. The Birthday Party: Summary
   1. Act I Summary
   2. Act II Summary
   3. Act III Summary
3. The Birthday Party: Harold Pinter Biography
4. The Birthday Party: Themes
5. The Birthday Party: Style
6. The Birthday Party: Historical Context
7. The Birthday Party: Critical Overview
8. The Birthday Party: Character Analysis
   1. Meg Boles
   2. Petey Boles
   3. Nat Goldberg
   4. Other Characters
9. The Birthday Party: Essays and Criticism
   1. The Birthday Party as a Work of Anti-Text
   2. Overview of The Birthday Party
   3. Review of The Birthday Party
10. The Birthday Party: Compare and Contrast
11. The Birthday Party: Topics for Further Study
12. The Birthday Party: Media Adaptations
13. The Birthday Party: What Do I Read Next?
14. The Birthday Party: Bibliography and Further Reading
15. Copyright

Related Topics

1. Harold Pinter

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