On Deconstruction Inclination In The Dumb Waiter

Harold Pinter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He is one of the most outstanding playwrights in contemporary Britain and even the representative personage of the absurd theater. This thesis based on Derrida’s Deconstruction theory and attempts to expose the indifference and selfishness in the interpersonal relationship in western society. Meanwhile, according to the subversion of the traditional pattern of drama, which help us have a different understanding about the absurdity of Pinter’s plays.This thesis consists of five chapters. The first chapter begins with a brief introduction to Harold Pinter and The Dumb Waiter. And it gives a view on previous studies both at home and abroad on this play. The second chapter followed by an analysis of the deconstruction theory’s definition mainly about to Derrida’s deconstruction strategy about logocentrism and binary opposition. The third chapter, which deconstruct the three pairs of binary oppositions:truth and falsity, safe and danger, superior and inferior, reconstructing the interpersonal relationship and denying the friendly and harmonious with each other. In the fourth chapter, the writer tries to analyze the whole play and subvert the traditional pattern of drama according to deconstruct the logocentrism. Pinter’s stages were inhabited by the working-class or people of lower social origin in British society. Although they always have many weaknesses, which protect them keep far away from death. The author does not give the certain information about the characters’identity and life background even has not any motivation of their behavior, which makes the suspense in Pinter’s plays be different from traditional drama. All the factors gradually form a Pinter’s "absurd drama". Finally, the thesis concludes that the indifference and falsity in the interpersonal relationship, it helps us have a more reasonable comprehension about the contemporary capitalist society and a better understanding about the condition of the bottom society in western country. Above all prove that this thesis has the positive social significance. This thesis attempts to use the Derrida’s deconstruction theory to study the Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter and provides readers a new angle of view to enjoy this drama. The author also hopes that this thesis will give the subsequent researchers’ some help on the research about The Dumb Waiter.