Pinter, Betrayal
Last week we discussed writing strong, argument-driven paragraphs that make a clear claim and that support that claim with textual evidence that is introduced, inserted and interpreted. Read through the seven sets of questions below and be prepared to discuss each of them next Tuesday (10/9). Choose one of the seven and, using the questions to gather your thoughts, develop a strong, argument-driven paragraph. It may help for you to review the guide circulated last week on writing strong close readings. Bring your paragraphs to class on Tuesday and be prepared to read them aloud.

Trace the references to squash in this play. What is the significance of squash as a male space in Pinter? Can you think of why squash would be the game Pinter chooses rather than, say, tennis or chess or any other number of options?
Why does Pinter choose to structure the play moving backwards? How would the play change if we were to read it in chronological order? What changes are permitted only to those reading, rather than watching, the play? Put the play in order according to page number and construct a chronology of the play by page number. If we are told that the affair starts prior to the first chronological night we see, develop an argument about why Pinter chooses to ‘start’ the play where he does, at the moment where Robert, Jerry and Emma are all together?
Consider Pinter’s use of alternative domestic spaces, the definitions of a “home” versus the “flat” and alternative locations such as pub, restaurant, study, and bedroom. How does what is possible to say or do in this text depend on the spaces where people are located? Using textual evidence, consider how different spaces allow for different possibilities for human relationships in the text.
Consider the role that the children play in this text. Does their presence have any impact at all on the adults? Consider especially Emma’s announcement of her pregnancy and the role played by Jerry’s memory of Charlotte. Why is this memory returned to so regularly? Trace the references to Charlotte in the text and present an argument about her significance in the text.
Consider the function of international spaces such as Venice, London, American and Torcello in the play. How do international spaces function in the text? What does each space make possible/impossible? What might the idea that human decisions and possibilities are shaped by spaces suggest about betrayal?
This play is heavily invested in the production of literature. Consider the role of reading in the play through the references to Yeats, the Lake District poets, modern prose by Casey and Spinks, and the publishing industry. Does literature bear any responsibility for the actions of these characters? What do you make of Robert’s solitary reading of Yeats? What is gained by making these characters invested in the publishing industry rather than any other kind of industry?
Focusing specifically on Emma’s character, take a gender studies approach to this text. You might choose to consider whether Emma is an empowered figure, or how the women in the play negotiate knowledge and power. What parts of Emma and her motivations remain inscrutable to the viewers/readers? How do you interpret her character in the play?