The Caretaker Summary

Harold Pinter's play The Caretaker, published in 1960, blends comedy and drama while employing a third-person limited point of view, where the audience perceives the story solely through the characters' words and actions. The title refers to Davies, a character who is offered a job as a caretaker by brothers Aston and Mick. However, rather than fulfilling this role, Davies is ironically the one being cared for—Aston looks after him, while Mick, in turn, takes care of his brother.

All of the scenes take place in Mick’s home, where Aston lives. The room is messy and full of random things. There is a window on the back wall, but half of it is covered with a sack. On the left wall, there is an iron bed with a cupboard above it. The room is cluttered with paint buckets, boxes, vases, a stepladder, a lawn mower, and a shopping trolley. Another bed is next to a gas stove, covered with a pile of things. Above the stove, there is a shelf with a Buddha statue on it. A vacuum cleaner is tucked under the bed. A bucket hangs from the ceiling to catch water from a leaking roof.

Mick is alone in his house in west London in the early 1950s. He is a tradesman and lets his brother Aston, who is a bit slow, live there. Mick hears voices outside, turns off the light, and leaves the room.

Aston enters with an older homeless man named Davies. Aston has saved Davies from a fight at a local bar and has invited him to stay for a while. Davies complains about the fight and makes rude comments about people from different backgrounds. He says a coworker asked him to take out the trash, which made him angry. He threatened the coworker and caused a scene, and Aston stepped in to help.

As they talk, Davies asks Aston about the black family living next door. Then he starts complaining about his shoes. He asks if Aston has a spare pair, but when Aston gives him two options, Davies does not like either pair. He also notices the Buddha statue on the shelf, and Aston explains that he bought it because he liked how it looked. Then they get the room ready for sleeping.

Aston and Davies share more about their lives. Aston gives Davies some money, which he quickly accepts. Aston mentions that he did not drink beer at a pub recently because it was not served in a thin glass. Davies ignores this and starts talking about his need to go to Sidcup, a town southeast of London, to get some papers that prove his identity. He says he changed his name to Bernard Jenkins years ago but is afraid to use his unemployment card under that name. His real name is Mac Davies.

Davies notices the bucket hanging from the ceiling. Aston explains that the roof leaks, so the bucket catches the drips. Davies then lies down to sleep, though he is nervous about the gas stove near his bed. Aston sits and fixes a plug.

The next morning, Aston stands at the foot of Davies’s bed and coughs to wake him up. Davies wakes up startled. Aston tells him that he was groaning and talking in his sleep, but Davies denies it. They talk about the gas stove, and Aston reassures Davies that it is not connected. Davies says he might go to a café in Wembley to find work and is confident he will get the job because he is English.

After Aston leaves, Davies looks around the room. He touches a stack of papers, almost knocking them over. Suddenly, the door opens, and Mick enters. Davies does not notice him at first. Mick suddenly grabs Davies’s arm and holds it back. He puts his finger to his lips and then to Davies’s lips before letting go. Then Mick sits in a chair, watching Davies without saying a word.

Davies stands facing Mick, who remains seated. Mick silently stares at Davies for a while before asking who he is. Davies says his name is Jenkins. Mick asks about his sleep and which bed he used. He then accuses Davies of being picky. Mick’s rapid questions confuse and annoy Davies, especially since Mick refuses to share anything about himself. Davies insists that he was born and raised in the British Isles.

Suddenly, Mick grabs Davies’s trousers from the bed, and they struggle over them. They both pull hard, trying to take control. Davies is furious and explains that Aston, the homeowner, brought him here after saving him from a fight. Mick calls him a liar and reveals that he himself owns the house. Mick gives Davies two choices: either he can go to the police station or rent a space in the house.

Aston returns with Davies’s bag from the café. Mick says he has seen the bag before and snatches it. Another tug-of-war happens, but this time, Mick lets go and gives Davies the bag before leaving.

Now alone, Aston and Davies talk about their plans. Aston says he wants to build a shed. Davies then realizes that the bag is not his. Aston admits that he got it from somewhere else and bought clothes for Davies, but Davies does not like them. Davies asks if Aston is the caretaker, but Aston says no. Then Aston offers Davies a job as caretaker. Davies considers it but seems hesitant. He also worries that the authorities might want his unemployment cards, which have different names on them.

Later that night, Davies enters the dark room. The light does not work, so he lights a match, but it goes out quickly. He drops the matchbox and cannot find it. He suspects someone moved it. He says he has a knife. Suddenly, he stumbles, falls, and cries out. Then the vacuum cleaner turns on by itself. Davies jumps back in fear. The vacuum stops, the light turns on, and Mick is revealed standing on the bed, holding the plug. Mick says he was just doing some spring cleaning.

Mick says he wants to start over and learn more about Davies. Davies denies being Aston’s friend. Mick then talks about his brother, saying, "He just doesn’t like work, that’s his trouble." Mick gets angry when Davies talks badly about Aston. Then Mick offers Davies the caretaker job. At first, Davies hesitates, but then he accepts. He promises to get references from Sidcup but says he will go when the weather improves.

The next morning, Aston wakes Davies up for his trip to Sidcup, but Davies refuses to go because of the weather. Aston plans to go to Goldhawk Road to look at a saw bench. He suggests Davies go to a café while he is gone.

Aston then remembers his past and shares a long story. He talks about how, when he was younger, he worked in a factory and spoke a lot to his coworkers. He told them about his hallucinations. The coworkers became concerned, and eventually, Aston was taken to a hospital against his will. A doctor suggested brain surgery, and Aston’s mother allowed it. He was given electric shock therapy. He saw other patients get the same treatment and tried to resist, but the staff forced him. Afterward, he had trouble walking and speaking and suffered from headaches. He felt like he was going to die. Now, he does not talk much and avoids places like the café. He is still angry. He thinks about finding the doctor who did this to him but wants to build his shed first.

Mick is lying on the floor while Davies paces around the room. Davies complains about Aston, saying that he ignores his concerns about the stove and the black people using the lavatory. Davies suggests that he and Mick could work together to improve the house. Mick seems interested and starts listing ideas. Then Davies asks who would live in the house. Mick replies, "My brother and me." When Davies asks more about Mick, Mick stays silent.

Davies keeps complaining about Aston, saying that he has no feelings and behaves strangely. He says Aston wakes him up every night and stands over him, smiling. Mick does not respond.

Mick gets up to leave just as Aston enters with a bag of shoes for Davies. Davies immediately complains that they do not fit and need shoelaces. Aston finds brown laces, but Davies is still not satisfied. Davies again says he cannot go to Sidcup because of the weather and his bad shoes.

That night, Davies moans in his sleep. Aston lights a cigarette, walks over, and shakes him awake. Davies is angry and insults Aston, mocking him about the hospital and the electric shocks. Aston tells Davies to leave, saying he is not suitable to stay. Davies argues that Mick hired him. Aston tells Davies that he stinks. Davies pulls out his knife but eventually puts it away and leaves.

Later, Davies returns and sits with Mick. They talk about Aston. Mick calls Davies a liar and an imposter. He throws sixpence at Davies and tells him that is his payment. Then he picks up the Buddha and throws it at the stove, breaking it.

Aston enters. He and Mick exchange a small smile. Mick leaves. Davies begs Aston to let him stay. Aston simply says, "You make too much noise." There is a long silence. Davies slowly heads to the door.

Character Analysis

Aston

• Quiet, hesitant, yet compassionate.
• Traumatized by past institutionalization and electric shock treatment.
• Represents vulnerability and the struggle to regain dignity.
• His kindness contrasts with Davies’s selfishness.

Mick

• Sharp, aggressive, and unpredictable.
• Sometimes cruel, sometimes playful.
• Seems to test Davies continually, exposing his weaknesses.
• Ultimately, he supports Aston, showing brotherly loyalty.

Davies

• A tramp: homeless, dirty, boastful, prejudiced, manipulative.
• Obsessed with shoes, clothes, and papers (symbols of identity and security).
• Seeks power by playing the brothers against each other.
• His downfall comes from his inability to adapt, his constant complaining, and lack of genuine gratitude.

Themes

1. Isolation and Loneliness: All three characters are isolated in different ways: Aston by trauma, Mick by aggression, and Davies by rootlessness.
2. Power and Manipulation: Davies tries to manipulate both brothers, but they see through him. Power shifts constantly in dialogue, especially between Mick and Davies.
3. Identity and Security: Davies’s obsession with his papers from Sidcup symbolizes his desire for a stable identity. Yet he never achieves it.
4. Brotherhood and Loyalty: Despite differences, Aston and Mick remain loyal to each other, eventually uniting against Davies.
5. Failure of Communication: The play is filled with pauses, repetitions, and meaningless chatter. True understanding rarely occurs, highlighting human disconnection.
6. Ambiguity: Pinter never clarifies Mick’s intentions, Davies’s past, or whether the “papers” exist. This ambiguity is central to the play’s unsettling atmosphere.