Stan STANLEY Horrible MEG You re a liar a little liar Their dull life shows the lifelessness of the house There is no joy no movement no change The play even begins and ends with Petey and Meg at the breakfast table The house becomes a symbol of boredom and emotional emptiness Meg s World of Illusion Meg loves her boardinghouse and treats it as her safe world But her world is small and filled with childish dreams She tries to make the place cheerful by taking care of Stanley She says I always take him up his cup of tea I made him drink tea I stood there till he did However this obsessive care shows her need to feel useful and valued in the house But her idea of happiness is false She cannot see the danger around her Even after the birthday party turns into chaos when Stanley tries to strangle her in the darkness she still believes It was a lovely party I haven t laughed so much in years The house therefore mirrors her blindness and emotional simplicity Stanley s Hiding Place and Fear Stanley the only lodger hides in the house as if escaping from the outside world He lives in isolation and fear This isolated and closed seaside boarding house mirrors his depressed and broken personality The house is not just a background for him it becomes his cage When Goldberg and McCann arrive his fear grows The dark corners closed doors and narrow rooms reflect his growing fear His breakdown during the party scene when he suddenly turns violent towards Meg and Lulu shows how the safe house turns into a nightmare The boardinghouse becomes a place of mental torture and fear for Stanley Goldberg and McCann Bring Threat When Goldberg and McCann arrive the quiet house suddenly fills with noise control and threat They interrogate Stanley The boarding house becomes filled with suspense and fear They talk in mysterious language Goldberg asks Stanley What makes you think you exist They accuse him of strange crimes and finally take him away Goldberg You're coming with us Stanley Stanley Why Goldberg Because you're under arrest The audience feels the same fear and confusion as Stanley Finally they take Stanley away The house was once dull and lazy became tense and frightening The house mirrors the way human life can suddenly turn from comfort to chaos In conclusion the boardinghouse in The Birthday Party is more than just a setting It is a living symbol of the characters minds Its closed and suffocating atmosphere reflects the fear confusion and hopelessness of Meg Petey and Stanley It shows Meg s blindness Stanley s fear and the emptiness of everyday life