Mountain Language is a one-act play written by Harold Pinter in 1988 after his trip to Turkey with fellow playwright Arthur Miller.
Andre Foote
IB English
26 January 2012
Mountain Language Commentary
Mountain Language is a one-act play written by Harold Pinter in 1988 after his trip to Turkey with fellow playwright Arthur Miller. The play echoes the situation in Turkey at the time concerning the suppression of the Kurdish culture. During the scene where the guards ask the women about the dog that bit one of them, Pinter demonstrates how language can be used to dominate discussion and interaction with others.
Pinter demonstrates the power in sarcasm when the officers interrogate the women seeking their husband and son in such a way that they belittle them. He asks them, ‘Who did this? Who bit you?’ He asks these questions after openly stating his understanding of the severity of their predicament by saying, ‘Look at this woman's hand. I think the thumb is going to come off.’ He asks not because he is genuinely concerned for the women’s’ situation, but rather to really illustrate that he does not care. The officers further undermine the women by repeatedly asking them questions they know the women will not know the answer to, ‘What was his name?‘ or that have already been answered. This lack of concern makes the women’s situation seem meaningless as it makes no difference to the officers what their answers may be because the direction and outcome of the discussion is entirely dependent on them.