Analysis

=Analysis =

“Pinter silence”is a term created to encapsulate the tension within the silences permeating Pinter’s plays. The conversations between characters intrigue the audience, and when the other characters ignore the speaker, the audience questions why they do not acknowledge the speaker and learn more about the characters through this questioning. This type of silence can be found often in Pinter’s plays. For example when, following Kate’s final dialogue the silence symbolizes the characters coping with the brutality of Kate’s “I saw you dead”speech. The pauses after Deeley’s dialogue about his business travels represent Deeley’s unsuccessful attempts to connect to Anna. Additionally, all of the characters exhibit different ways of blocking out the others. Kate acts distant and ignores the others, while Anna responds to Deeley without any enthusiasm. When Deeley is talking about his travels instead of expounding on all of Deeley’s questions she answers them directly and briefly showing her disinterest with Deeley. Deeley scoffingly questions Anna’s word choice in an attempt to alienate her. Whenever the characters exit the realm of small talk and enter the realm of a real discussion that could help them find answers or resolve issues, the character blocks out the speaker and the topic of conversation is switched. Through these silences Pinter explores the human nature of running around our problems and differences with others.

Although these silences represent the characters attempts to alienate each other, a rare alliance is formed by Anna and Deeley. Throughout the play Deeley and Anna vie for Kate’s attention. In the first act, Deeley brings up how he and Kate met and receives no response from Kate. Anna then brings up the story of the man lying across Kate’s lap and receives no response from Kate. Their play for Kate’s attention reaches a pinnacle when Deeley and Kate alternated singing lyrics from different songs to Kate. After Kate leaves Deeley and Anna find common ground in their discussion of drying off and powdering Kate and form a kind of social alliance. They begin to acknowledge each other and even sing to Kate once more, this time using alternating lyrics from the same song.

The play contains many contradictory facts, which makes it difficult to interpret and analyze. Deeley claims Kate was the only one at the theatre Kate claims Anna stole her underwear while Anna claims that Kate told her to do so. This forces the audience to question who is lying and who is telling the truth. Pinter comments on the confusing nature of human memory by introducing all these contradictory facts. He also comments on the confusing nature of human memory when Anna mentions that “there are things I remember which may never have happened but as I recall them so they take place.” Anna goes into detail about the events that took place the night that she found Deeley crying in Kate’s lap. After Kate’s I saw you dead speech, the three of them reenact Anna’s story that she recalled as taking place only because she said it took place.

Pinter seems to provide an explanation for the confusing and contradictory subject of human memory by commenting on its corrupt nature. Each character chooses to remember the same event in ways which help further their agenda. It is clear both Deeley and Anna only want Kate’s attention, either as a spouse or as a friend. Deeley tries to appeal to Kate by remembering the first time they went on a date as just him and her, but Anna claims she was there a well. When Anna tells this story of her and Kate seeing //Odd Man Out// she focuses much more attention on describing the fun times her and Kate had in Tate.

When Pinter is questioned about the inspiration and meanings behind his work, he often avoids the question. For example, he is asked about the meaning of his work and he responds with “the weasel under the cocktail cabinet,”a nonsensical response answering nothing. This evasion of tough questions can be found throughout Old Times. Often characters avoid tough or emotionally difficult topics either through ignoring the topic at hand, switching the subject, or answering without truly expounding on the topic.