Student Question

Is Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming" an absurdist drama?

Quick answer:

"The Homecoming" by Harold Pinter is not an absurdist drama. It features a realistic setting and language, with a straightforward plot, which differs from absurdism. Instead, it is classified as a "comedy of menace," a term describing plays that evoke nervous laughter despite their unsettling undertones. Pinter's works often focus on a single setting where characters confront undefined threats, using language as both communication and a weapon.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

No, Pinter's play is not absurdist drama. The setting is realistic, there is one basic plot with no subplots, and the language is realistic--qualities not found in absurdism.

"The Homecoming" is a "comedy of menace," a phrase coined by drama critic Irving Wardle to describe the plays of Harold Pinter and David Campton. What that means is that even though these plays may be funny, the laughter they induce may be nervous giggles rather than light-hearted fun. It's like watching a person trip and fall down: we know the person might have been hurt, but we just can't help laughing.

The web site Books and Writers (kirjasto.sci.fi) notes that

Pinter's major plays originate often from a single, powerful visual image. They are usually set in a single room, whose occupants are threatened by forces or people whose precise intentions neither the characters nor the audience can define. The struggle for survival or identity dominates the action of his characters. Language is not only used as a means of communication but as a weapon. Beneth the words, there is a silence of fear, rage and domination, fear of intimacy.

Visit the sites linked below for more information.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial