The Birthday Party: Act Three Summary & Analysis

Sitting at the breakfast table the following morning, Meg informs Petey that she has run out of cornflakes and has nothing to feed him because Goldberg and McCann have eaten all the fried bread. Still, Petey sits and reads his newspaper as always, noting that Meg slept “like a log” the night before. “Oh, look,” Meg says at one point, picking up Stanley’s drum. “The drum’s broken. Why is it broken?” Hitting it with her hand, she says, “It still makes a noise.” She then adds, “It was probably broken in the party. I don’t remember it being broken, though, in the party.” Consoling herself, she points out that at least Stanley had the drum on his birthday, like she “wanted him to.”

Meg asks Petey if he’s seen Stanley yet, and when he says he hasn’t, she says, “Nor have I. That boy should be up. He’s late for his breakfast.” Petey points out that there isn’t any breakfast, but she says, “Yes, but he doesn’t know that.” She has, she reveals, already been upstairs to give Stanley his tea, but McCann opened the door and informed her that “they were talking.” “Do you think they know each other?” she asks Petey. “I think they’re old friends.” Looking out the window, she remarks that there’s a car in the driveway and asks Petey if there’s a wheelbarrow inside it, but he assures her the car only belongs to Goldberg—a fact that relieves her.

Before Meg leaves to go shopping, Goldberg comes downstairs and says that Stanley will be along soon. Hearing this, Meg tells Petey to tell Stanley that she “won’t be long,” and then she exits. Turning to Goldberg, Petey asks if Stanley is “any better” this morning. In an unconvincing tone, Goldberg says, “Oh…a little better, I think a little better. Of course. I’m not really qualified to say, Mr. Boles.” Going on, he says that a doctor would have more to say. “Anyway,” he continues, “Dermot’s with him at the moment. He’s…keeping him company.” Confused, Petey says, “Dermot?” “Yes,” Goldberg says without explaining. He then posits that the birthday party was “too much” for Stanley, and when Petey asks what “came over him,” he says Stanley had a nervous breakdown.

Petey asks Goldberg what brought on Stanley’s nervous breakdown, and Goldberg suggests that these kinds of things can happen in many different ways. “A friend of mine was telling me about it only the other day,” he says, explaining that “sometimes it happens gradual—day by day it grows and grows and grows…day by day. And then other times it happens all at once. Poof! Like that! The nerves break.” For some people, Goldberg maintains, these kinds of nervous breakdowns are “foregone conclusion[s].”

Recounting his experience of the previous night, Petey says he came home to find the house completely dark because no one had put a shilling in the electricity meter. As such, he put a coin in the slot, but by the time he was inside, the party had already ended. “There was dead silence,” he says to Goldberg. “Couldn’t hear a thing. So I went upstairs and your friend—Dermot—met me on the landing. And he told me.” “Who?” Goldberg asks. “Your friend—Dermot,” Petey replies. He then asks if people can recover from nervous breakdowns, and Goldberg admits it’s “conceivable” that Stanley might already have gotten over it. Nonetheless, Petey says he’ll call a doctor if Stanley isn’t better by lunchtime, but Goldberg tells him this won’t be necessary.

When McCann comes downstairs with two suitcases, Goldberg says, “Well?” but McCann doesn’t respond. Finally, when Goldberg pushes him, he says, “I’m not going up there again.” This, he explains, is because Stanley has gone quiet. “He stopped all that…talking a while ago,” he says, telling Goldberg that he can go up himself if he wants to find out when Stanley will be ready to leave. He also says that he gave back Stanley his broken glasses, which he apparently tried to fit into his eyes. When Petey overhears this and says they can tape them, though, Goldberg says, “No, no, that’s all right, Mr. Boles. It’ll keep him quiet for the time being, keep his mind off other things.” He then says he and McCann will take Stanley to a man named Monty. “You’re going to take him to a doctor?” Petey asks. “Sure, Monty,” Goldberg replies.

Goldberg informs Petey that he and McCann will most likely leave before Meg returns. Accepting this, Petey goes to check on his garden as they wait for Stanley to come downstairs. Alone in the living room, Goldberg and McCann prepare to leave. As they speak to one another, McCann starts ripping newspaper, and this annoys Goldberg, who tells him to stop because he finds it “childish” and “pointless.” Sitting down and leaning back in a chair, Goldberg closes his eyes and talks to McCann in a tired voice. “I don’t know why, but I feel knocked out,” he says. “I feel a bit…It’s uncommon for me.” Hearing this, McCann suggests they “get the thing done” so they can leave, but Goldberg says nothing. “Nat!” McCann says to Goldberg’s slumped body. “Simey!” With a jolt, Goldberg’s eyes open and he viciously tells McCann never to call him that.

Goldberg tells McCann to look in his mouth, saying he wants his “opinion.” As McCann peers into his mouth, he says, “You know what I mean?” Going on, Goldberg holds forth about how he’s never lost a tooth, suggesting that he’s risen to his “position” because he’s “always been fit as a fiddle.” “All my life I’ve said the same,” he says. “Play up, play up, and play the game. Honour thy father and thy Mother. All along the line. Follow the line, the line, McCann, and you can’t go wrong.” He also asserts that he has always learned “by heart” and never written anything down.

“And don’t go too near the water,” Goldberg tells McCann. “And you’ll find—that what I say is true. Because I believe that the world … (Vacant.) … Because I believe that the world … (Desperate.) … BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE WORLD …” In this moment, Pinter notes that Goldberg is “lost.” Having risen from his chair, he sits back down. “Sit down, McCann,” he says, “sit here where I can look at you.” Obeying, McCann sits on a footstool and listens. “My father said to me, Benny, Benny, he said, come here,” says Goldberg. “He was dying. I knelt down. By him day and night. Who else was there? Forgive, Benny, he said, and let live.” He then lists off a number of pieces of advice that his father gave him on his deathbed, all of which are cliché.

“Work hard and play hard,” Goldberg says, concluding a list of life lessons his father taught him while dying. “All the same, give me a blow,” he adds, looking at McCann. “Blow in my mouth.” Obliging this request, McCann stands, bends over, and blows into Goldberg’s mouth. Refreshed, Goldberg asks for “one for the road,” and McCann repeats the process until Goldberg “breathes deeply” and “shakes his head,” at which point Lulu enters the living room, having come from upstairs.

Sensing that Lulu wants to speak to Goldberg in private, McCann steps out. “I’ve had enough games,” she says, and then accuses him of taking advantage of her. “You taught me things a girl shouldn’t know before she’s been married at least three times!” she says. “Now you’re a jump ahead!” Goldberg replies. At this point, McCann enters and says, “Your sort, you spend too much time in bed.” Advancing upon her, he says, “Confess!” “Confess what?” she asks, but he only tells her to get on her knees. Looking on, Goldberg says she might as well confess. “What, to him?” she asks. “He’s only been unfrocked six months,” he replies, as McCann hisses, “Kneel down, woman, and tell me the latest!” Moving toward the door, Lulu says she has “seen everything that’s happened,” insisting that she knows “what’s going on.” With this, she exits.

After Lulu leaves, McCann goes upstairs and fetches Stanley, who arrives dressed in “striped trousers, black jacket, and white collar” with a bowler hat in his hand. In his other hand he holds his broken glasses, and the audience sees that he is clean shaven. “How are you, Stan?” Goldberg asks. “He looks better, doesn’t he?” McCann says. “Much better,” Goldberg says. “A new man,” McCann agrees. They then promise to buy him new glasses, but Stanley doesn’t seem to register anything they’re saying. “Between you and me, Stan, it’s about time you had a new pair of glasses,” Goldberg says, pointing out that he’s been “cockeyed for years.” “You’re on the verge,” he adds, promising that he and McCann will “save” him. He says that they’ll do all sorts of things for him, making him rich and successful and happy.

“What’s your opinion of such a prospect? Eh, Stanley,” Goldberg asks. Concentrating hard, Stanley laboriously says, “Uh-gug … uh-gug … eeehhh-gag … Cahh … caahh …” Shuddering, he stops trying to speak. “Still the same old Stan,” Goldberg says. “Come with us. Come on, boy.” As they help him stand and make for the door, though, Petey enters and asks where they’re taking him. “We’re taking him to Monty,” Goldberg says. “He can stay here,” Petey replies, insisting that he and Meg can take care of him. Goldberg insists that Monty is the person Stanley needs, and then he puts the bowler hat on Stanley’s head and moves toward the door. “Leave him alone!” Petey yells, but this only causes Goldberg and McCann to stop, turn, and say, “Why don’t you come with us, Mr. Boles?”

Goldberg tells Petey that there’s “plenty of room in the car” for him, but Petey remains rooted where he stands. As Goldberg and McCann take Stanley out the door, Petey screams, “Stan, don’t let them tell you what to do!” Listening to the car drive away, he goes to the table and picks up the newspaper, and the strips McCann cut all fall out.

When Meg comes home, she doesn’t know that Goldberg and McCann have taken Stanley. Sitting at the table, she asks if the two guests have already left, and Petey confirms that they have. “Oh, what a shame,” she says. After a moment, she asks if Stanley has come downstairs yet for breakfast. “No…he’s…” Petey begins. “Is he still in bed?” Meg asks. “Yes, he’s…still asleep,” Petey lies. “He’ll be late for his breakfast,” Meg complains, but her husband simply tells her to let Stanley sleep. “Wasn’t it a lovely party last night?” she asks, and Petey reminds her that he wasn’t there. “I was the belle of the ball,” she tells him. “Were you?” he asks. “Oh, yes. They all said I was,” she replies. “I bet you were, too,” he says. “Oh, it’s true. I was,” she says. And then, after a pause, she adds, “I know I was.”