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The Power of Repetition The Power of Repetition An Analysis of Repetition Patterns in The Hothouse and The Caretaker by Harold Pinter Mari Anne Kyllesdal A Thesis Presented to The Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages The University of Oslo In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the MA Degree Spring Term 2012 II The Power of Repetition An Analysis of Repetition Patterns in The Hothouse and The Caretaker by Harold Pinter Mari Anne Kyllesdal III © Mari Anne Kyllesdal 2012 The Power of Repetition: An Analysis of Repetition Patterns in The Hothouse and The Caretaker by Harold Pinter. Mari Anne Kyllesdal http://www.duo.uio.no/ Trykk: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo IV Abstract In most of Harold Pinter’s plays, underlying relations between characters are a central feature. Through the slight alteration and further development of naturalistic dialogue, and exploiting the features of The Theatre of the Absurd, Pinter perfected his project of turning dramatic dialogue into the equivalent of authentic language, and created for himself a mode of speech where the explicit text can ‘hint at’ an implicit subtext. One central feature of Pinter’s dramatic language is the use of repetition as a way of communicating psychological action within his characters. This thesis explores how Pinter uses repetition patterns in his dramatic dialogues in the two plays The Hothouse and The Caretaker. Attempting to reveal what is concealed underneath the surface of language, the thesis also discusses the concept of power- play which is exhibited within the examples chosen. Disclosing an inadequacy in using language is often felt by Pinter’s characters as a mark of inferiority, and repetition may occur as a means of correcting any perception of the individual as subordinate to others. The main aim of the thesis is thus to examine the significance of repetition in the two plays The Hothouse and The Caretaker by Harold Pinter, and to explore how repetition may reveal examples of power-play. V VI Acknowledgements I am grateful to a number of people for helping me in the process of writing this thesis. First and foremost I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Jakob Lothe. Without his insightful comments, corrections, patience and flexibility, I would not have managed to complete the thesis. I could not have asked for a better supervisor. My friends and family have been very supporting. I owe special gratitude to Nina Yardley for constructive criticism along with Liv Christina Varen, both of whom made this year endurable. I value our discussions; they have been constructive and inspiring. I am also grateful to Elma Turkovic and Hedda Lingaas Fossum for useful comments and proof-reading, and to Therese Kolle for making me realise that it was possible to achieve this degree. My fellow students and friends have all made this year a more pleasant experience. I would also like to thank my father, Bjørn Bjørnstad, for instilling me with a love for literature, and my sister Liv Maren Bjørnstad for enabling me to gain perspective and retain it throughout the writing process. I could not have done without the constant love and patient support from my dear Lars Joar Hognestad (or without his fantastic cooking). I dedicate this thesis to my mother, Marie Kyllesdal, who I am sure would have been proud. Abbreviations1 I employ the following abbreviations for reference: P1 for Harold Pinter. Plays One. P2 for Harold Pinter. Plays Two. CALD for The Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (CD-ROM version). OED for The Oxford English Dictionary (Online version). 1 For complete references, see Bibliography. VII VIII Contents 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Pinter the dramatist ...................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Selection of plays......................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Theory .......................................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Methodology .............................................................................................................. 15 1.5 Specification of the problem to be investigated ........................................................ 17 1.6 Chapter Outline.......................................................................................................... 17 2 The Hothouse .................................................................................................................. 18 2.1 Overview ................................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Focus and selection of dialogues and repetitions ...................................................... 19 2.3 Act One ...................................................................................................................... 22 2.3.1 Dialogue One: Roote and Gibbs (Exposition) .................................................... 22 2.3.2 Dialogue Two: Cutts, Gibbs and Lamb .............................................................. 41 2.4 Act Two ..................................................................................................................... 44 2.4.1 Dialogues Three and Four: Roote, Lush and Gibbs ........................................... 44 2.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 54 3 The Caretaker .................................................................................................................. 57 3.1 Structure and Overview ............................................................................................. 57 3.2 Act One ...................................................................................................................... 59 3.3 Act Two ..................................................................................................................... 66 3.4 Act Three ................................................................................................................... 86 3.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 96 4 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 99 Bibliography ......................................................................................................................... 107 IX X 1 Introduction2 Always, in Pinter’s world, personal inadequacy expresses itself in an inadequacy to cope with and to use language. The inability to communicate, and to communicate in the correct terms, is felt by the characters as a mark of inferiority [...] (Esslin ‘Language’ 46) In most of Harold Pinter’s plays, underlying relations between characters are a central feature. Through the slight alteration and further development of naturalistic ‘oblique’ dialogue, as introduced by Anton Chekhov (Kennedy 21; Esslin ‘Language’ 35), Pinter perfected his project of turning dramatic dialogue into the equivalent of authentic language, and created for himself a mode of speech where the explicit text can ‘hint at’ an implicit subtext (Esslin ‘Language’ 35).3 Relevant to this issue are the implications of Pinter’s movement away from traditional stage dialogue and what the characteristics of his ‘Pinteresque language’ really are. One central feature of Pinter’s dramatic language is the use of repetition as a way of communicating psychological action within his characters. This thesis will explore how Pinter uses repetition patterns in his dramatic dialogues. Attempting to reveal what is concealed underneath the surface of language, the thesis will also discuss the concept of power-play which is exhibited within the examples chosen. As indicated in the quotation above, disclosing an inadequacy in using language is often felt by Pinter’s characters as a mark of inferiority, and repetition may occur as a means of correcting any perception of the individual as subordinate to others. Following this line of thought, I pose these questions: what is the significance of repetition in Harold Pinter’s plays? What can we find out about the characters and the plays by analysing repetition patterns? Can the repetitions found reveal power mechanisms which exist in the interpersonal relations between the characters? How and to what extent can the words and sentences, even questions, be reflections of what goes on inside characters? How do the repetitions in Pinter’s dramatic dialogue relate to literary theory on repetition? These questions I will pursue in the analyses of the two plays The Hothouse and The Caretaker. 2 This first page is based on my own assignment Thesis Proposal submitted as part of the subject ‘ENG 4391 Writing a Thesis on a Literary Topic’ during the spring term of 2011. The main arguments are the same, but they have been added to and rephrased to suit my purpose. 3 According to Ronald Knowles in the article ‘Pinter and Twentieth Century Drama’, ‘Typical of Chekhov’s dialogue is the way that characters will occasionally talk across each other, as if encapsulated in private worlds’ (78). According to The Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, ‘Oblique’ in its adjectival meaning describes ‘remarks which are not direct,
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