Themes: Anger and Hatred
Anger is a central theme in The Homecoming. The play opens with Max looking for scissors while Lenny disregards him. Lenny then retorts, "Why don't you shut up, you daft prat?" Throughout the first scene, as the male family members are introduced, their interactions are dominated by anger and animosity. Lenny insults Max by calling him a "stupid sod," to which Max threatens, "Listen! I'll chop your spine off if you talk to me like that!" Even when reminiscing about the past, Max recalls that he and his late friend Mac (MacGregor) were among the "most hated men in the West End"; thus, even nostalgia, usually linked with joyful memories, is tainted by resentment.
The relationships in the play lack warmth and compassion. When Max's brother Sam returns from work, Max ridicules him, and the seemingly mild-mannered Sam counters with insinuations about Max's deceased wife Jessie and his friend Mac—an issue that has long been a source of tension. The unresolved anger about what might have occurred between Jessie and Mac serves as a frequent tool for Sam and Lenny to use against Max. When Joey, Max's simple-minded younger son, comes back from the gym, Max mocks his dreams of becoming a professional boxer. Joey, unable to respond quickly, simply leaves the room. Teddy likely sought refuge from this relentless anger and hostility by throwing himself into a narrow academic field, marrying without telling his family, and relocating to America.
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