Theme of Isolation in the Play, The Caretaker

The theme of loneliness or isolation, one of the great problems of modern life has been expressed largely through the characters of Davies and Aston in Pinter’s play, The Caretaker. both Davies and Aston are lonely but the reasons for their loneliness are different. We find Davies alone when he is rescued by Aston from a brawl at the cafe, and after a brief interlude he is left alone again at the end of the play. Davies is an outcast, a vagrant, a man cut off from society but we feel that his isolation is rather self-imposed, because he would not rectify his bad habits. Therefore, isolation for such an unpleasant person is inevitable.

Aston’s isolation springs from a different cause. He offers to Davies a room and a job, and show kindness towards him. This suggests that he is in desperate need for companionship, but he seems to have trusted people too much. Davies trusts no one, and turns on those who try to help him. For example, he tries to join Mick in an alliance against Aston, because he is not. Through these two character portrayals the playwright wants to say that people desire for companionship but exploit it when they have it, or are exploited when they offer it.