‘역할 지정하기’ 측면에서 본 『애인』의 사라

Abstract

In Harold Pinter’s plays, most female characters are a mother, a wife or a whore. They are divided into good or evil women, who are archetypal figures from the patriarchal viewpoint. Therefore, Pinter has often been accused of a male-centered writer because of his ways of treating female characters. Sarah, one of Pinter’s female characters, plays a role of either a housewife or a whore in The Lover. The play is about a married couple who play the game of double identities. Richard, the husband, becomes Max, a playboy and Sarah, the wife, becomes Dolores or Mary, a whore in their fantasy role-play. The couple, when they want, impose different roles on themselves. There are two kinds of ‘role assignment’ in The Lover. The first one is to use some wearable things, like high-heeled shoes, a tight, low-cut dress, and a bongo drum. When they wear or carry one of these items, they get into a different role. The second one is to use verbal language, like ‘a title designation’ and ‘narrative creation’ using things mentioned or experienced before. When examining their ways of ‘role assignment,’ it is not only Richard but also Sarah who plays a leading role. With the ways of ‘role assignment,’ she manages to cope with situations actively and shows more flexible attitudes at the moment when their double roles conflict. After all, Sarah is not a mere victim nor an archetypal figure any longer, but an existential individual who struggles to establish her identity. She is neither marginal nor secondary to her counterparts.