Considering Old Age and the Absurd in Harold Pinter'sA Slight Ache

Abstract

AbstractThis article seeks to launch an inquiry into the interplay between the philosophical concept of the absurd and different theories of aging in Harold Pinter's radio play A Slight Ache. Due to the privileged position it occupies in the interstice of the two, A Slight Ache will be read as a surprisingly complex nexus of reflections on aging, and some of the play's nuances and half-meanings will thereby be brought more vividly to light. A close reading drawing on theories of aging will show that old age is a theme of paramount importance in A Slight Ache. Furthermore, this article will claim that the combination of the absurd with aging calls for a discussion on intersubjectivity, whose precariousness threatens to doom attempts at meaning-making to failure. Finally, it will briefly discuss resistance as a viable or at least ineluctable reaction to that state of affairs.