Harold Pinter’s (1930-2008) The Dumb Waiter (1957) focuses on the tensions
experienced by two hitmen, Ben and Gus, as they wait for their next order in a closed
basement. The complex interactions of these characters represent the existential
anxieties emerging in an indifferent, and absurd universe of human existence. In
this work, Pinter emphasizes lack of communication and alienation through the
dialogues and silences between the characters. This theme is also explored in
Albert Camus’s (1913-1960) the Myth of Sisyphus (1942), where, after explaining
concepts such as absurdity, suicide, and the absurd man, the story of Sisyphus
endlessly rolling a rock up a hill, only to see it roll back down, is described. Camus
uses this myth as a metaphor for the existential struggle of humanity. Both works
serve as metaphors for the relentless human effort in an absurd universe filled
with indifferent, repetitive actions, exemplified by waiting for an unknown task
and pushing the rock. This in mind, this article argues that Pinter’s the Dumb
Waiter aligns with and parallels Camus’s principles of absurdism, as Pinter’s play
is examined as an interpretation of Camus’s philosophy. This article also explores
how Ben and Gus resonate with the concept of ‘absurd man’ defined by Camus.
The analysis emphasizes that both works, through their parallels and themes of
searching for meaning in human existence represent the place of humanity and
search for meaning in an absurd universe.