Reading a play is almost like defeating its very essence. Without witnessing a live performance by actors who have delved into the subtleties of their characters and understood the nuanced cues to portray events not always explicitly on the page, one doesn't get the full impact. However, a well-written play can still hold its own as a piece of literature when read. And it's safe to say that "The Homecoming" does just that.
"The Homecoming" tells the story of a man who returns to his North London home with his wife after six years. He is a philosophy professor in the US, while his family is clearly working-class. Teddy, the one who escaped, struggles to stand up to his father Max and his pimp brother Lenny. The youngest child, Joey, is all brawn and no brains. Ruth, Teddy's wife, soon asserts her own will, and a truly strange dance begins between her and the men of the house, quickly evolving into a Freudian sexual psycho-drama.
This is my first real foray into the works of Harold Pinter, one of the most renowned recent British playwrights. It's a remarkable piece. The conflict between the upper and lower classes, Teddy's aspirations versus the harsh reality of his roots, and Ruth's desire to break free from the limitations of her middle-class life all unfold in this short yet effective drama, which in some ways is almost a tragedy. I suspect some aspects may seem dated now, but at the time of its original production, it must have been shocking. It's a strange little play, but a powerful one, very much in the vein of the kitchen-sink dramas that were dominating the stage in postwar Britain. In a sense, "The Homecoming" is like a horror movie.
Ok, sure. Ruth likes to get around. Indeed, this might never happen and yes, the play is very twisted. It contains profanity and some scenes, conversations, and actions that are just plain wrong. However, I don't think there is a need to label it as horrible or the worst ever. It has its own beauty. The plot is complex, and the characters are amazing, remaining true to themselves from start to finish.
I spent a significant amount of time attempting to figure out what they would say next, but I was always wrong. Well, it did make me feel a bit sick and embarrassed. This was because we were forced to read it in class, and there were certain parts where I wished we could have stopped reading. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it.
Amazingly enough, this is one of the plays that I understood the best. It delves into the dark side of mankind. After struggling through it, I grew to appreciate it. I think it might have been a bit of going against the whole class, but it simply has its own unique beauty and art within it. It's just not that easy to discover.