The Homecoming Flashcards
(13 cards)
Author and Date
Harold Pinter 1964
Flashcard: Max
Max is the domineering, aging patriarch of the family—a retired butcher prone to violent outbursts and verbal abuse. He tries to assert authority over his sons and brother, but his power is often undermined by confusion and contradiction. Despite his aggression, Max reveals a desperate need for control and validation, especially over women and family hierarchy.
Flashcard: Ruth
Ruth is Teddy’s wife who transitions from a quiet, mysterious outsider to the dominant female figure in the household. Her calm, poised demeanor masks an unsettling authority, and she ultimately negotiates her own power within the family by asserting sexual and maternal influence. She destabilizes the male-dominated space, turning the patriarchal order on its head.
Flashcard: Lenny
Lenny, Max’s middle son, is a sharp, manipulative character with a cool, calculating manner. He speaks in riddles and stories, often hinting at violence or a shady past, possibly as a pimp. Lenny tries to assert dominance over Ruth but ends up yielding power to her, highlighting his inability to control her.
Flashcard: Joey
Joey is the youngest son, a boxer and construction worker, physically strong but intellectually limited. He is easily influenced by others and doesn’t fully understand the implications of what’s happening in the house. Though he briefly connects with Ruth, he remains childlike and passive, especially in the power games around him.
Flashcard: Sam
Sam is Max’s brother, a chauffeur, and the most gentle and moral member of the family. He often tries to mediate or inject reason into the chaos but is largely ignored or silenced. His collapse near the end of the play symbolizes the final breakdown of decency and traditional values within the household.
Flashcard: Teddy
Teddy, Max’s eldest son, is a philosophy professor living in America. He returns home with his wife, Ruth, but struggles to assert control over his family or his marriage. Despite his academic success, he is emotionally detached and cowardly, retreating back to America alone after surrendering Ruth to his family.
Theme: Power and Control
Power in The Homecoming is constantly shifting—through sex, speech, and silence. The male characters struggle to dominate each other, but their efforts are upended when Ruth exerts subtle control over them. Pinter reveals how power is not fixed, but fluid, and often tied to manipulation and desire rather than physical strength.
Theme: The Breakdown of Family
Pinter portrays a dysfunctional family where traditional roles—father, son, husband, wife—are warped or meaningless. Emotional coldness, rivalry, and cruelty define the household dynamic. Ruth’s arrival doesn’t heal the family but further exposes its fractured nature, turning “homecoming” into a disintegration of familial norms.
Motif: Gender Reversal
The play frequently subverts traditional gender roles. Ruth, initially presented as submissive, ends up commanding the male household, while the men, especially Teddy, display emotional weakness or passivity. This reversal challenges expectations of dominance and submission within both marriage and family.
Motif: Pauses and Silences
Pinter’s signature use of pauses and silences adds tension and ambiguity to interactions. These gaps in dialogue suggest power struggles, suppressed emotion, or unspoken threats. They often say more than the dialogue itself, highlighting the manipulation and discomfort in each exchange.
Symbol: The House
The family home is a symbol of masculine control, tradition, and inherited authority. However, it becomes a battleground for psychological and sexual power, particularly when Ruth redefines her role within it. Rather than a refuge, the house reveals the family’s dysfunction and becomes a space of entrapment and role-play.
Symbol: The Armchair
Max’s armchair symbolizes patriarchal power and entitlement. He occupies it as the head of the household, using it to issue commands and insults. But over time, his hold on the chair—and the authority it represents—wanes, reflecting the collapse of his dominance.
