Essay Questions

What is the significance of the story about Deeley meeting Anna at a Pub and then going to a party?

The significance of this memory is that Deeley remembers it differently than Anna. In fact, initially, Anna doesn't remember meeting Deeley. She only remembers meeting a man, and that her experience with him was cold. The other side is that Deeley remembers it as a wonderful experience that delighted him, and Anna has nearly forgotten it. The point is that memories are not experienced in the same way, and thus can have multiple interpretations by people who were experiencing it at the same time.

What is the symbolism in Kate's coffee being cold?

Kate tries coffee that Deeley is preparing for Anna. He describes it as piping hot, but when Kate tries it she says it is cold. The symbolism is that the relationship between Deeley and Anna is piping hot as described, while Deeley and Kate's relationship has gone cold. It shows that there is something happening under the surface between Deeley and Anna.

Why does Pinter write to have the stage lights be turned up bright at the end of the play?

Pinter is a master of form, and he uses realistic characters in order to portray a story that cannot be classified as realism. The final moment of the play with the lights coming up brightly represents this fact, that though what we have read appears as reality, we have just experienced a non-realistic form that the playwright is using to deal with the theme of memory and how we relate to each other through them.