The Room Lesson Plan

How do our themes of alienation and fear arise as Bert exits the stage?

The themes of alienation and fear arise with Bert’s exit from the stage. Left alone, Rose cannot stay still and doesn’t know what to do with herself. Pinter shows how Rose’s anxiety keeps her restless as she moves from spot to spot around the room, straightening up the place with pauses to listen to noises intruding from the frightening outside world.

In a moment that could be played equally for comedy and pathos, Rose seems finally to settle; however, she is soon up on her feet, remembering that she can take out the kitchen trash. With her inability to stay still, the audience gets a palpable...