The Dumb Waiter

Analysis of The Dumb Waiter Harold Pinter's use of the absurd in his plays, reflective of Beckett's Waiting for Godot, has been scrutinized for its study of human relationships. Pinter puts forth a complex situation, and the resulting conflict is surprisingly representative of human life and emotion. As in Waiting for Godot, most conversation that occurs between Ben and Gus is pointless, and each character has trouble dealing with each other, and therefore, society. Martin …

…he is right or not until it is all over. However, that gives meaning enough by itself: the fact that we do not know what to expect. Curiosity plays a role in giving meaning to life. Ben and Gus were very nervous throughout the play, but much of this came from the curiosity they held about who it would be at the door. In this sense, their lives had a small point, and therefore meaning.