Historical Context
Theatre of the Absurd
The term "Theatre of the Absurd," introduced by Martin Esslin in his book The Theatre of the Absurd (1961), describes plays that emphasize and reflect the irrational nature of the human condition. This genre has its origins in the expressionist and surrealist movements, as well as the existential philosophy derived from the ideas of 19th-century Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard and German philosophers Martin Heidegger and Friedrich Nietzsche. Notable dramatists in this category include Samuel Beckett, Eugene Ionesco, Günter Grass, Jean Genet, Edward Albee, N. G. Simpson, and Harold Pinter.
Absurdist plays depict a unique perspective on the human condition and the quest to understand one’s role and purpose in life. They challenge the concept that humans are rational beings within a coherent and logically structured universe. Characters in these plays often struggle, yet ultimately fail, to find meaning and purpose in a world devoid of truth or value. This leads to a profound sense of isolation and despair in the face of existential nothingness.
Typically, these plays eschew traditional structure. They frequently include silences and scenes of miscommunication to highlight the characters' sense of isolation and alienation. The narrative is often a series of disjointed scenes and fragmented images that mirror the characters' experiences.
Repression of the Kurds
Harold Pinter has remarked that his play Mountain Language is inspired by the oppression faced by the Kurds as a minority group in Turkey. Approximately twenty-five million Kurds live in a mountainous area in the Middle East, spanning southeastern Turkey to northwestern Iran. Their long-standing conflict with Turkey intensified after World War I with the Treaty of Versailles, which authorized Turkish rule over them. Tensions escalated further in 1937 when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk banned religious and non-Turkish cultural expressions, including the word Kurd.
Throughout the following decade, Kurdish schools, organizations, and publications were prohibited, and references to Kurdish regions were removed from maps and documents. With the word Kurd outlawed, Kurds were officially referred to as "mountain Turks who have forgotten their language." They were barred from government positions, and the Turkish government seized their land and property. In response, Kurds initiated several revolts against the Turkish government, seeking to rally support through traditional religious beliefs and cultural practices. However, Kurdish leaders struggled to unite the various Kurdish tribes. After the suppression of revolts in 1925 and 1930, the government imposed even harsher and more repressive measures. Today, the Kurds remain an impoverished and culturally oppressed minority in Turkey.
In 1996, eleven Kurds were arrested by London police while they were rehearsing Mountain Language with plastic guns. They were detained until authorities could determine what was really happening at the community center where the rehearsal was taking place. Pinter suggests that this incident is an example of life imitating art.
Literary Style
Structure
Pinter fragments the play's structure to highlight the isolation and alienation experienced by the characters. The acts present distinct vignettes of the women desperately trying to see their men. Act I focuses on the women, who have been standing in the snow for eight hours, and their interaction with the sergeant and the officer. The absurdity of the dialogue Sara must engage in with these officials amplifies her sense of alienation, especially since the scene ends before she can see her husband. This opening sets the tone for the play, suggesting that the women will struggle to truly reunite with the men.
Acts II and IV revolve around the elderly woman and her son. In Act II, their attempts to communicate are continually disrupted by a guard who jabs the elderly woman with a stick every time she tries...
(This entire section contains 279 words.)
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to speak. This theme of broken communication is reinforced in the final act, where the elderly woman remains unresponsive to her son, either out of fear of being beaten or because of her son's shocking physical condition.
The third act occurs in a corridor where Sara unexpectedly encounters her husband. The claustrophobic atmosphere of the scene implies that neither Sara nor her husband, who has clearly been tortured, can escape the absurd world they are trapped in.
Language
Pinter’s distinctive use of language, or the lack thereof, further emphasizes the play’s themes. Much of the dialogue between the guards, women, and prisoners seems nonsensical, reflecting the play’s focus on communication breakdown and the absurdity of their situation. Pinter also employs silences throughout the play to underscore these themes and highlight the power dynamics within the prison.
Compare and Contrast
1930s: In the newly established Republic of Turkey, President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk vigorously pursues the "Europeanization" of his citizens. This includes the introduction of surnames and granting women the right to vote. Additionally, the secularization of the state impacts the Kurdish population significantly.
1980s: Amidst internal turmoil, Turkey's Council of National Security aims to restore order by apprehending terrorists, seizing large arms caches, and banning political activities. In 1987, a state of emergency is declared to address the uprising led by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Today: Terrorism-related deaths have decreased notably as Turkey seeks to engage with the European Union. However, a state of emergency still persists in the six southeastern provinces predominantly inhabited by Kurds.
1930s: Theater experiences significant growth in Turkey following the establishment of the republic. The first Children's Theater is inaugurated. The Halkevleri (people's centers), set up by the State, play a crucial role in promoting and developing theater through publications, tours, and courses.
1980s: Drama remains widely popular in Turkey, with numerous theaters opening across the country.
Today: The Turkish government is attempting to financially support private theaters to preserve artistic expression. However, this funding lacks regulation and is influenced by political factors.
1930s: The official written language of Turkey adopts a Latinized Turkish alphabet. The nation, formed from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire, comprises various ethnic groups.
1980s: The 1982 constitution upholds democratic governance and safeguards fundamental human rights, including freedoms of expression, thought, and assembly.
Today: Ethnic Kurds constitute twenty percent of Turkey's population, while ethnic Turks make up eighty percent. Ninety-nine percent of the population practices Islam. Turkish is the official language, but Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, and Greek are also spoken.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Dace, Tish, ‘‘Pinter, Harold,’’ in Reference Guide to English Literature, 2nd ed., edited by D. L. Kirkpatrick, Vol. 2, St. James Press, 1991, pp. 1080–84.
Gordon, Lois, ‘‘Harold Pinter: Overview,’’ in Contemporary Dramatists, 5th ed., edited by K. A. Berney, St. James Press, 1993.
Kennedy, Douglas, ‘‘Breaking the Silence,’’ in New Statesman & Society, Vol. 1, No. 21, October 28, 1988, pp. 38–39.
Pinter, Harold, ‘‘Introduction,’’ in The Complete Works One, Grove Press, 1990.
Pinter, Harold, ‘‘Introduction,’’ in The Complete Works Four, Grove Press, 1990.
Spencer, Charles, ‘‘An Interminable Slog through Pinter’s Politics,’’ in Daily Telegraph, June 28, 2001.
Further Reading
Armstrong, Raymond, Kafka and Pinter Shadow-Boxing: The Struggle between Father and Son, Palgrave, 1999. Armstrong offers an intriguing examination of Kafka’s impact on Pinter’s dramas.
Gale, Steven H., ed., The Films of Harold Pinter, SUNY Series, Cultural Studies in Cinema/Video, State University of New York Press, 2001. This collection features essays by ten film experts on Pinter’s screenplays, such as Lolita, The Remains of the Day, and The French Lieutenant’s Woman.
Gussow, Mel, Conversations With Pinter, Grove Press, 1996. Gussow, a drama critic for the New York Times, compiles a series of interviews he held with Pinter from 1971 to 1993, discussing the essence of Pinter’s work.
Taylor, John Russell, ‘‘Harold Pinter,’’ in British Writers: Supplement I, edited by Ian Scott-Kilvert, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1987, pp. 367–82. Taylor conducts a thematic analysis of Pinter’s early plays.
