Truth, Lies, and Fantasy
In The Caretaker, none of the characters can be trusted to tell the truth. Each one is, to some degree, deceptive, distorting reality to manipulate others and deceive themselves. The character who stands out as the most deceitful is likely Davies. From the outset, it is evident that he is dishonest, initially trying to earn Aston's respect by fabricating a past that seems implausible. “I've had dinner with the best,” he claims. He further undermines his credibility by admitting to using a false name, leaving the audience uncertain if his real name is even Davies. His discussions about the future are also laced with lies and fantasies, serving two purposes—to manipulate Aston and Mick and to boost his own self-esteem. He talks about seeking revenge on the man who allegedly attacked him: "One night I'll get him. When I find myself in that direction."

Davies also tells Aston and Mick that he plans to go to Sidcup to retrieve his papers. Throughout the play, he mentions his supposed plans to go to Sidcup, contingent on acquiring shoes or better weather, plans that the audience soon realizes will never come to fruition. By insisting that he is not just a tramp, that he has had a grand past and will support himself in the future, Davies manipulates Aston into continuing to let him stay in the room.

Mick and Aston are not as blatant in their deceit as Davies, but the truthfulness of their statements is also dubious. When Mick, after throwing the Buddha against the stove, says, "I got plenty of other things I can worry about... I've got my own business to build up,” it is unclear whether he is being truthful or trying to convince himself and Davies of his own significance. When he talks about his extravagant plans to transform the house into something out of a home and garden magazine, he is either toying with Davies or deluding himself with visions of a future that will never come to pass.

Aston's honesty is also suspect. Pinter himself has mentioned that a common mistake among audiences watching The Caretaker is to assume that Aston is truthful about his experiences in the mental hospital. But even if Aston is honest about that experience, he deludes himself with his talk of building a shed. Like Davies's trip to Sidcup and Mick's decorating plans, Aston's shed is a fantasy that will never be realized.

All of the characters in the play not only deceive each other but also delude themselves. Instead of revealing the truth, communication in the play obscures reality. In the world of The Caretaker, truth itself becomes an illusion.

Family
In an ideal world, family provides strength and support to its members. However, in The Caretaker, the family members are disconnected and sometimes even hostile. Mick and Aston, the brothers in the story, rarely mention their parents; the audience is left uncertain whether their mother and father are still alive. The scant information they do provide hints at strained relationships. For instance, Mick refers to his ‘‘uncle's brother,’’ who may just be another uncle, but is more likely their father.

If this is true, Mick is so estranged from his father that he can't even use the term "father" to refer to him. ‘‘I called him Sid,’’ he tells Davies, and Mick seems unsure of their relationship: ‘‘I've often thought that maybe ... my uncle was his brother and he was my uncle.'' Although Mick's speech is meant to be humorous, it underscores the lack of a real relationship between...