In Act 2 of The Caretaker, Aston speaks at length about his ongoing problems with mental illness. In this soliloquy, he talks about having hallucinations, having past difficulties with colleagues in the workplace, and having undergone a medical procedure. Although Aston does not use the term “electroshock therapy,” his description of what was done to him corresponds to that type of treatment.

Aston is resentful of the people who administered that treatment and of his mother for agreeing to it. His revelations help to explain several aspects of his character and of the play overall up to that point. The way that Harold Pinter presents the information also raises questions about its validity. What Aston says about his condition helps to explain his behavior and his living situation, but his condition may be creating problems with his memory or prompting him to invent events that did not take place.

He lives with his brother, does not have a job, seems to have no prospects of becoming employed, and does not seem motivated to do planned projects. Aston also has difficulty connecting with other people, as Mick tells Davies that his brother has few friends. These problems may be the result of shock treatment, but he might have made up that story to explain his problems. This paradox adds to the instablility and uncertainty that permeate the play.