Pinter's Political Menace and Ashes to Ashes
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Harold Pinter Is the Pre-Eminent Stylist of Post-War British Theatre, And
Pinter and style by Harry Derbyshire Harold Pinter’s style is both impressive and contagious, and the dramatists who have emerged in his wake have often wrestled to free themselves from his influence, just as he himself has been periodically accused of self-parody. What was at first taken to be hyper-realistic or ‘tape-recorder’ dialogue, capturing the manifold hesitations, inaccuracies and repetitions of everyday speech, has become an ever-more recognisable mode of writing which maximises the allusive power of language while, often, denuding it of literal meaning. Pinter’s particular way with words is exemplified by his early revue sketches, as much exercises in style as studies in character, arguably the best of them being ‘Last to Go’. The sketch treats its audiences to a desultory conversation between the barman of an all-night coffee stall and his only customer, a newspaper seller who has recently packed up for the night. Their subject is which newspaper was the last to be sold: Man Yes, it was the ‘Evening News’ that was the last to go tonight. Barman Not always the last though, is it, though? Man No. Oh no. I mean sometimes it’s the ‘News’. Other times it’s one of the others. No way of telling beforehand. Until you’ve got your last one left, of course. Then you can tell which one it’s going to be. Barman Yes. Pause. Man Oh yes.[i] The pointlessness of the conversation is the point of the drama: the need for human contact, rather than any looked-for practical outcome, is what is driving the dialogue. -
Chapter 36 Harold Pinter: the Dramatist and His World
Chapter 36 Harold Pinter: The Dramatist and His World Background Nobel winner, Harold Pinter (1930- 2008) was born in London, England in a Jewish family. Some of the most recognizable features in his plays are the use of understatement, small talk, reticence , and silence. These devices are employed to convey the substance of a character’s thoughts. At the outbreak of World War II, Pinter was evacuated from the city to Cornwall; to be wrenched from his parents was a traumatic event for Pinter. He lived with 26 other boys in a castle on the coast. At the age of 14, he returned to London. "The condition of being bombed has never left me," Pinter later said. At school one of Pinter's main intellectual interests was English literature, particularly poetry. He also read works of Franz Kafka and Ernest Hemingway, and started writing poetry for little magazines in his teens. The seeds of rebellion in Pinter could be spotted early on when he refused to do the National Service. As a young man, he studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the Central School of Speech and Drama, but soon left to undertake an acting career under the stage name David Baron. He travelled around Ireland in a Shakespearean company and spent years working in provincial repertory before deciding to turn his attention to playwriting. Pinter was married from 1956 to the actress Vivien Merchant. For a time, they lived in Notting Hill Gate in a slum. Eventually Pinter managed to borrow some money and move away. -
JM Coetzee and Mathematics Peter Johnston
1 'Presences of the Infinite': J. M. Coetzee and Mathematics Peter Johnston PhD Royal Holloway University of London 2 Declaration of Authorship I, Peter Johnston, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, this is always clearly stated. Signed: Dated: 3 Abstract This thesis articulates the resonances between J. M. Coetzee's lifelong engagement with mathematics and his practice as a novelist, critic, and poet. Though the critical discourse surrounding Coetzee's literary work continues to flourish, and though the basic details of his background in mathematics are now widely acknowledged, his inheritance from that background has not yet been the subject of a comprehensive and mathematically- literate account. In providing such an account, I propose that these two strands of his intellectual trajectory not only developed in parallel, but together engendered several of the characteristic qualities of his finest work. The structure of the thesis is essentially thematic, but is also broadly chronological. Chapter 1 focuses on Coetzee's poetry, charting the increasing involvement of mathematical concepts and methods in his practice and poetics between 1958 and 1979. Chapter 2 situates his master's thesis alongside archival materials from the early stages of his academic career, and thus traces the development of his philosophical interest in the migration of quantificatory metaphors into other conceptual domains. Concentrating on his doctoral thesis and a series of contemporaneous reviews, essays, and lecture notes, Chapter 3 details the calculated ambivalence with which he therein articulates, adopts, and challenges various statistical methods designed to disclose objective truth. -
The Best According To
Books | The best according to... http://books.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,32972479299819,00.html The best according to... Interviews by Stephen Moss Friday February 23, 2007 Guardian Andrew Motion Poet laureate Choosing the greatest living writer is a harmless parlour game, but it might prove more than that if it provokes people into reading whoever gets the call. What makes a great writer? Philosophical depth, quality of writing, range, ability to move between registers, and the power to influence other writers and the age in which we live. Amis is a wonderful writer and incredibly influential. Whatever people feel about his work, they must surely be impressed by its ambition and concentration. But in terms of calling him a "great" writer, let's look again in 20 years. It would be invidious for me to choose one name, but Harold Pinter, VS Naipaul, Doris Lessing, Michael Longley, John Berger and Tom Stoppard would all be in the frame. AS Byatt Novelist Greatness lies in either (or both) saying something that nobody has said before, or saying it in a way that no one has said it. You need to be able to do something with the English language that no one else does. A great writer tells you something that appears to you to be new, but then you realise that you always knew it. Great writing should make you rethink the world, not reflect current reality. Amis writes wonderful sentences, but he writes too many wonderful sentences one after another. I met a taxi driver the other day who thought that. -
George Bernard Shaw, the Fabian Society, and Reconstructionist Education Policy: the London School of Economics and Political Science
George Bernard Shaw, the Fabian Society, and Reconstructionist Education Policy: the London School of Economics and Political Science Jim McKernan East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA “He who can does, He who cannot teaches” (G.B. Shaw) Introduction When four members of the Executive Committee of the newly founded Fabian Society 1 met at Sidney Webb’s summer house at Borough Farm, near Godalming, Surrey, on the morning of 4 August, 1894 there was exciting news. The four left-wing intellectual radicals present were: Beatrice and Sidney Webb, Graham Wallas, (of the London School Board) and George Bernard Shaw. Sidney told the breakfast group of a letter he had received the previous day from Henry Hunt Hutchinson, a Derby solicitor who left his estate, a sum of ten thousand pounds sterling, to be used by the Fabian Society for its purposes. It appears that Sidney Webb probably initiated the idea of a London Economics Research School, but had the sound practical support and advice of Shaw and later, the financial support of Shaw’s wife, Charlotte Frances Payne-Townshend, an Irishwoman from Derry, County Cork. This paper explores the social reconstructionist educational and social policies employed by both the Webbs and George Bernard Shaw in establishing the London School of Economics and Political Science as a force to research and solve fundamental social problems like poverty in the United Kingdom in the late Nineteenth Century. That schools might function as agencies for dealing with the reformation of socio-economic problems has been a prime tenet of reconstructionist educational theory . 2 Social reconstructionist thought as an educational policy emerged in the USA from the time of the Great Depression of the 1930’s until the Civil Rights period of the 1960’s and many see it as a pre-cursor to critical theory in education. -
The Collective Unconscious in Eugene O`Neill`S Desire Under The
Aleppo University Faculty of Arts and Humanities Department of English The Collective Unconscious in Eugene O`Neill`s Desire Under the Elms and Mourning Becomes Electra and George Bernard Shaw`s Pygmalion and Man and Superman: A Comparative Study By Diana Dasouki Supervised by Prof. Dr. Iman Lababidi A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts In English Literature 2018 i Dasouki Declaration I hereby certify that this work, "The Collective Unconscious in Eugene O`Neill`s Desire Under the Elms and Mourning Becomes Electra and George Bernard Shaw`s Pygmalion and Man and Superman: A Comparative Study", has neither been accepted for any degree, nor is it submitted to any other degrees. Date: / / 2018 Candidate Diana Dasouki ii Dasouki Testimony I testify that the described work in this dissertation is the result of a scientific research conducted by the candidate Diana Dasouki under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Iman Lababidi, professor doctor at the Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Aleppo University. Any other references mentioned in this work are documented in the text of this dissertation. Date: / / 2018 Candidate Diana Dasouki iii Dasouki Abstract This dissertation explores the theory of the collective unconscious in Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under the Elms and Mourning Becomes Electra and George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and Man and Superman. The main objective is to study how the work of Jung has awakened interest in the unconscious and archetype psychology. The collective unconscious is a useful theory because studying literature, myth and religion through archetypes can reveal many deep and hidden meanings. -
Ninth Grade English Survey of Literature - Honors
Ninth Grade English Survey of Literature - Honors CONTENT/THEME SUGGESTED RESOURCES CORE GOALS/SKILLS ASSESSMENT George Orwell Recognize components, devices, examples Assessments may include but are not limited Animal Farm and purposes of satire to: Objective Tests Mark Twain Understand relationship with political and Puddin’head Wilson historical contexts Subjective Tests and Essay Short answer George Bernard Shaw Understand the content, both literal and Timed essay Arms and the Man inferential Take-home essay Define terminology and identify examples Writing will focus on synthesis of direct Saki Satire quotations and analysis of satire as it “The Interlopers” Utilize strategies for reading literature relates to historical context Academic Standards for Reading, Writing, Oral presentation Speaking, and Listening: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6 Collaborative or Individual projects Homer Identify epic conventions Assessments may include but are not limited The Odyssey to: Identify major themes of epics Objective Tests From Beowulf Identify the characteristics and qualities of Subjective Tests and Essay Edna St. Vincent Millay an epic hero Short answer “An Ancient Gesture” Timed essay Identify how the epic reflects the time period Take-home essay Margaret Atwood Research-based essay Epic “Siren Song” Define terminology and identify examples Writing will focus on synthesis of direct Constantine Cavafy Understand the content, both literal and quotations, analysis of epic convention, “Ithaca” inferential comparison and contrast of the two representative -
Edward (Ted) A. Barron Debartolo Performing Arts Center 100 Performing Arts Center Notre Dame, in 46615 (574) 6312725 [email protected]
Edward (Ted) A. Barron DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 100 Performing Arts Center Notre Dame, IN 46615 (574) 6312725 [email protected] EDUCATION School of Humanities, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California Doctor of Philosophy in Visual Studies, 2009 Research interests: Nonfiction Film, AvantGarde Film, Race and Realism, Film Theory Dissertation: Actual Treatments: Performative Realism in American Independent Cinema, 19491970 Fatimah Tobing Rony, Chair. Committee Members: Akira Mizuta Lippit, Bliss Cua Lim. College of Communication, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts Master of Science in Film Studies, 1998 Thesis: Discovering New Worlds in the Films of Frederick Wiseman, Ray Carney, Advisor. College of Arts & Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York Bachelor of Arts in English, 1992 EXPERIENCE Interim Exectuive Director, 2015present Senior Associate Director, 2010present DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana Oversees the daytoday operations of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Serves as primary liaison to the Office of Human Resources regarding personnel decisions. Supervises all operational staff in managing the facilities. Curates a creative and challenging series of programs for the Browning Cinema season including but not limited to: ANDkids World Film Festival, Nanovic Institute for European Studies Film Series, Worldview Film Series, Screenpeace Film Series and the Michiana Jewish Film Festival and other cooperative programs across the Academy. -
George Bernard Shaw in Context Edited by Brad Kent Frontmatter More Information
Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-04745-7 - George Bernard Shaw in Context Edited by Brad Kent Frontmatter More information GEORGE BERNARD SHAW IN CONTEXT When Shaw died in 1950, the world lost one of its most well-known authors, a revolutionary who was as renowned for his personality as he was for his humour, humanity, and rebellious thinking. He remains a compelling figure who deserves attention not only for how influential he was in his time but also for how relevant he is to ours. This collection sets Shaw’s life and achievements in context, with forty-two chapters devoted to subjects that interested him and defined his work. Contributors explore a wide range of themes, moving from factors that were formative in Shaw’s life, to the artistic work that made him most famous and the institutions with which he worked, to the political and social issues that consumed much of his attention, and, finally, to his influence and reception. Presenting fresh material and arguments, this collection will point to new direc- tions of research for future scholars. brad kent is Associate Professor of British and Irish Literatures at Université Laval and was Visiting Professor at Trinity College Dublin in 2013–14. His recent publications include a critical edition of Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession (2012), The Selected Essays of Sean O’Faolain (forthcoming), and essays in University of Toronto Quarterly, Modern Drama, ARIEL: A Review of International English Literatures, English Literature in Transition, Irish University Review, and The Oxford Handbook of Modern Irish Theatre. He is also the programme director of the Shaw Symposium, held annually at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada. -
The Hothouse and Dynamic Equilibrium in the Works of Harold Pinter
Ben Ferber The Hothouse and Dynamic Equilibrium in the Works of Harold Pinter I have no doubt that history will recognize Harold Pinter as one of the most influential dramatists of all time, a perennial inspiration for the way we look at modern theater. If other playwrights use characters and plots to put life under a microscope for audiences, Pinter hands them a kaleidoscope and says, “Have at it.” He crafts multifaceted plays that speak to the depth of his reality and teases and threatens his audience with dangerous truths. In No Man’s Land, Pinter has Hirst attack Spooner, who may or may not be his old friend: “This is outrageous! Who are you? What are you doing in my house?”1 Hirst then launches into a monologue beginning: “I might even show you my photograph album. You might even see a face in it which might remind you of your own, of what you once were.”2 Pinter never fully resolves Spooner’s identity, but the mens’ actions towards each other are perfectly clear: with exacting language and wit, Pinter has constructed a magnificent struggle between the two for power and identity. In 1958, early in his career, Pinter wrote The Hothouse, an incredibly funny play based on a traumatic personal experience as a lab rat at London’s Maudsley Hospital, proudly founded as a modern psychiatric institution, rather than an asylum. The story of The Hothouse, set in a mental hospital of some sort, is centered around the death of one patient, “6457,” and the unexplained pregnancy of another, “6459.” Details around both incidents are very murky, but varying amounts of culpability for both seem to fall on the institution’s leader, Roote, and his second-in- command, Gibbs. -
Politics, Oppression and Violence in Harold Pinter's Plays
Politics, Oppression and Violence in Harold Pinter’s Plays through the Lens of Arabic Plays from Egypt and Syria Hekmat Shammout A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS BY RESEARCH Department of Drama and Theatre Arts College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham May 2018 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract This thesis aims to examine how far the political plays of Harold Pinter reflect the Arabic political situation, particularly in Syria and Egypt, by comparing them to several plays that have been written in these two countries after 1967. During the research, the comparative study examined the similarities and differences on a theoretical basis, and how each playwright dramatised the topic of political violence and aggression against oppressed individuals. It also focussed on what dramatic techniques have been used in the plays. The thesis also tries to shed light on how Arab theatre practitioners managed to adapt Pinter’s plays to overcome the cultural-specific elements and the foreignness of the text to bring the play closer to the understanding of the targeted audience. -
TIMES, BETRAYAL and a KIND of ALASKA PEREIRA, Luís Alberto
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0104-93132002000100005 MEMORY AS DISCOURSE IN HAROLD PINTER’S OLD LÉVI-STRAUSS, Claude. Tristes Trópicos. Lisboa: Edições 70. 2004. TIMES, BETRAYAL AND A KIND OF ALASKA PEREIRA, Luís Alberto. Drama biográfico – “Hans Staden”. Coprodução luso-brasileira. 1999. Carla Ferreira de Castro RIBEIRO, Darcy. O Povo Brasileiro – a formação e o sentido do Brasil. São Universidade de Évora Portugal Paulo: Companhia das Letras. 2.ª Edição. 1995. [email protected] ROUCH, Jean. “Les Maîtres Fous”. Documentário/filme. 1955. Consultado a 15 de Maio de 2012: Abstract http://www.veoh.com/watch/v14179347tanDtaPa?h1=Jean+Rouch+%3 A+Les+ma%C3%AEtres+fous+-+The+mad+masters This paper aims at developing the topic of identity and the narration of SANTIAGO, Silviano. “Mário, Oswald e Carlos, intérpretes do Brasil”. ALCEU – v.5 – n.10 – Jan./Jun. 2005. P.p. 5 – 17. Consultado a 15 de Maio de the self through the other in Harold Pinter’s plays Old Times, Betrayal and A Kind . In these plays Pinter deploys strategies to convey multiple implications 2012: of Alaska which are based on the power of memory in which the structure of the plays is http://revistaalceu.com.puc-rio.br/media/alceu_n10_santiago.pdf concocted. STADEN, Hans. 1520-ca 1565. Viagem ao Brasil. Rio de Janeiro: Academia Brasileira, 1930. 186 P. Consultado a 15 de Maio de 2012: http://purl.pt/151 Pinter, Language, Silence, Memory, Time STOLLER, Paul. “Artaud, rouch, and The cinema of Cruelty”. 1992. Key words: Visual Anthropology Review. Volume 8, n. º 2. “Every genuinely important step forward is accompanied by a return to the beginning...more precisely to a renewal of the beginning.