Humanities and Social Sciences Review,
CD-ROM. ISSN: 2165-6258 :: 1(4):227–231 (2012)
CAN HUMAN BEINGS REMAIN “UNCONTAMINATED” BY THE
INVASION OF RHINOCEROS?
Ileana Mihaela Chiriìescu
University of Craiova, Romania.
Victor Hugo in the novel Les Miserables and Eugène Ionesco in the play Rhinocéros, both
want to prove that man needs courage to save himself. The invasion of rats from Paris’ sewers
was replaced in Ionesco’ play, by the invasion of rhinoceros, basically, bearers of the same
evil symbolism that can occur in any form or by any means. Rats would live in sewers, rhinos
appear in the street. The offensive is equally destructive, whether it appears from within, or
from the outside. We all have to determine who the real rats or rhinos invading us, rhinos
which want us to resemble them, and which is the way that suits us best, to save ourselves
form transformation. There isn’t a second awareness that can decide the way to happiness, for
us. We are masters of our own condition.
Keywords: Injustice, Invasion, Human condition.
Introduction
If in the novel Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, we encountered the invasion of rats from the dirty
sewerage, in Eugène Ionesco’s play, Rhinocéros, the rat becomes a rhinoceros, perfectly adapted
to city’s asphalt. „The rhinocerity” represents a strange transformation that touches the human
being in all its compartments: physical, mental, spiritual. Both, Bérenger and Gavroche, are
exposed to the „danger” of being „contaminated”, but both, one and the other, decide to position
against transformation:
„Don’t be afraid. They can’t get in. And besides, I’m here! Here, catch hold of my hand [...] The
child pressed the hand close to him, and felt reassured. Courage and strength have these
1
mysterious ways of communicating themselves”.
„We may have courage. We even would not need too much. This solves by itself. Yes, yes, a bit of
2
courage. A little bit, at least” .
The Struggle of Human Being Against Social Injustice
In his lifetime, Jean Valjean is forced to flee the path of the anger policeman Javert. Although he
spent ten years in prison, for stealing a loaf of bread, Jean Valjean's fate has not changed, even
1
HUGO Victor, Les Misérables, translator Isabel F. Hapgood, Thomas Y Crowell & Co, Astor Place, New York,
Volume IV, Book Sixth, chapter III).
2
IONESCO Eugène, Rhinocéros, Paris, Ed. Gallimard, Coll. Folio, 1959, p. 237.
227
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Ileana Mihaela Chiriţescu
though he had already served his sentence. He had to hide under false identities. To better
emphasis the contrast between Jean Valjean’s true personality and social injustice, Victor Hugo
positions him in situations which can prove his kindness. Jean Valjean protects Cosette, the
daughter of a prostitute, whom he saves from Thénardier’s house, who treated her like a slave.
But Cosette is not the only human being Jean Valjean saves. Using irony, the writer Victor
Hugo positions the tireless Javert in the situation of being saved from the rebels’ hands by none
other than Jean Valjean himself. This is the moral punishment Javert receives. Finding it
impossible to live with the thought he was saved precisely by the man he had wanted to kill,
Javert commits suicide. Marius, Cosette’s lover, is also saved by Jean Valjean. But, instead of
being grateful to Jean Valjean for saving him, Marius distances Cosette from the man who loved
her like a father.
Jean Valjean is not the only character in the novel Les Misérables who succeeds, trough his
moral force, to distance himself from the inner dirt of those around him. Gavroche is another
representative character of the novel who, although he had been driven away from home by his
own family, went quite often to visit it, by his own will.
It is not the dirt from Paris’ sewers - which Jean Valjean and Gavroche would know, like the
palm of their own hands- that the mankind of that century should be afraid of, but human misery
and emptiness displayed by those who had no goals in life but to humiliate and oppress those
around them. This is the great moral lesson Victor Hugo wanted to give in and through his novel.
Jean Valjean is repaid by life through material wealth he acquires. Moral fortune was the one
who attracted the material wealth to join in, so that Jean Valjean’s character should impress
through deed and reward.
Victor Hugo’s rats, which were scattered throughout Paris’ sewers, infecting the lives of the
poor, such as Gavroche, are symbols the author employs. Gavroche was not afraid of the rats
because he had a pure, unblemished, untouched soul.
Fear usually springs when human being feels guilty of something and expects divine
punishment, in any form. Gavroche was not afraid; he wanted to save humanity precisely from
this fear. He would have wanted people to be brave and open-hearted because he sensed, in his
innocence, that this was the way the world could be saved from the invasion of eternal evil.
Eugène Ionesco also wants, in the play Rhinocéros, to prove that man needs courage to save
himself. The invasion of rats from Paris’ sewers was replaced in Ionesco’ play, by the invasion
of rhinoceros, basically, bearers of the same evil symbolism that can occur in any form or by any
means. Rats would live in sewers, rhinos appear in the street. The offensive is equally
destructive, whether it appears from within, or from the outside.
In his book Présent passé Passé Présent, Ionesco says: „I am stronger than nothingness.
The rest is insignificant: where to find triumph, where to find a greater happiness than joy, than
the unique bliss we find in the miracle of our existence itself? Living without contemplating,
always finding yourself in the midst of action, this is the real stupidity, the true blindness. And
yet, there is stupidity and maybe it manages to fulfil and remind me of the miracle of existence in
the world. In real essential awareness: wars and sciences, economics and architecture, dirt or
wealth, hierarchies, the world divided into nations, government, religion, philosophy, they all
disappear like shadows in front of this unique, crushing- in a happy manner-reality: «I exist», «I
am» and when I think about it, the rest is silenced, it becomes nonsense. Or, it becomes a
celebration that could dissipate even death, and then it only remains the pleasure, the
satisfaction of existence. I have the key to happiness: remember that, remember you exist!”3
3
IONESCO Eugène, Présent Passé, Passé Présent, Paris, Ed. Gallimard, Coll. Idées, 1968, pp. 254-256.
Can Human Beings Remain “Uncontaminated” by the Invasion of Rhinoceros?
229
Thus the author of Rhinocéros, encourages us, by telling we should not forget, not even for
one second, we hold the key to happiness and salvation. Courage is an essential part of our
existence because it exists in our nature. We are the only ones able to play with it. If we let it
smoulder or activate it, this is the choice we have to make. The character Bérenger is also
courageous, who, despite all, wants to stand last, to reject the transformation of his being in
rhinoceros: „I’ll take on the whole of them! I’ll put up a fight against the lot of them, the whole of
them! I’m the last man left, and I’m staying that way until the end. I’m not capitulating!”4
Bérenger does not show nervousness when he encourages others to fight against the
invading rhinoceros. He has a firm attitude and gentleness in his voice: „Bérenger: Do you feel
sure of my love? I love you so. Listen Daisy, there is same thing, my dear. We’ll have children,
and our children will have children – it’ll take time, but together we can regenerate the human
race. And we, too, can have courage. We don’t need all that much. It happens automatically with
time and patience. Of course we can – with a little bit of courage. Let’s save the world, Daisy!”5
Bérenger secures his beloved Daisy of all his love, telling her that together they can save the
world. Love is here the saviour feeling. Out of love, people have the immense power to
regenerate the human species. But, for this, one needs will. And, unfortunately, Bérenger does
not receive the same feelings from Daisy. Although she could, Daisy does not want children, she
opposes regeneration: „Daisy: I don’t want to have children – it’s a bore.”6
Opposing regeneration, Daisy opposes the salvation of the human race. She is supported by
Bérenger, but in her turn, she does not support him in the deliverance of the world and
consequently of human being. Daisy is uncertain of her, though Bérenger believes her to be
stronger than him: „Bérenger: But your are the strong one. It’s precisely for your courage that I
admire you so.”7
Not having the same inner language, the two can no longer manage to understand each
other, by not making a pact of love and understanding they no longer have the strength to fight
together. They acknowledge the others’ transformation, but the attitude towards this
transformation is a different one. Daisy seems careless: „Daisy: Let things just take their course.
What can we do about it?”8
Daisy suggests the adaptation to the new situation, since she accepts the conversion of
others, and implicitly hers: „Daisy: After all, perhaps it’s we who need saving. Perhaps we’re the
abnormal ones.”9
Moreover, she begins to long for others' happiness. She admires those who have already
undergone transformation: „Daisy: Those are the real people. They look happy. They’re content
to be what they are. They don’t look insane. They look very natural. They were right to do what
they did.”10
Bérenger's attitude is one of accountability. He speaks in the plural when he tells Daisy that
all people must feel they are responsible for the unchanging of human being, and that is not
enough to feel, they must also take the responsibility to act for the good of mankind. Seeing
4
E. Ionesco, Rhinoceros, translated by Derek Prouse, Penguin Books, 1962, p. 124.
Ibidem, pp. 118-119.
6
Ibidem, p. 119.
7
Ibidem, p. 118.
8
Ibidem, p. 118.
9
Ibidem, p. 119.
10
Ibidem, p. 119.
5
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Ileana Mihaela Chiriţescu
Daisy hesitating, sensing she is afraid to get involved, Bérenger again assumes responsibility:
„Bérenger: Do it for me, Daisy. Let’s save the world!”11
Bérenger speaks from within, he includes himself among those who need to be saved:
„Bérenger: We’re the ones who are doing right, Daisy, I assure you.”12
Daisy does not speak from within, thus making her positioning ambiguous, giving the
impression she is not part of the whole human system: „Daisy: It’s the world that’s right – not
you and me.”13
At the beginning of the play, Bérenger listens to Jean’s advice offending him, when he talks
about the level of his degradation: „Jean: - You’ve gone without your sleep again, you yawn all
the time, you’re dead-tired[...] It’s the same every Sunday morning – not to mention the other
days of the week[...] And what’s happened to your tie? Lost it during your orgy, I suppose! (Jean
taking a tie out of his coat pocket): Here, put this one on [...] Your hair’s is all over the place [...]
Here, here’s a comb! (He takes a comb from his other pocket) [...] You haven’t even shaved! Just
take a look at yourself! [...] I’m not surprised! You’re heading for cirrhosis, my friend [...] Your
clothes are all crumpled, they’re a disgrace! Your shirt is downright filthy, and your shoes...Your
shoes haven’t been touched [...] It’s a positive disgrace! I feel ashamed to be your friend.”14
And yet, he promises to listen to his advice and become a better human being: „Bérenger:
You’re right, perfectly right. I’m going to put myself into the picture, like you said[...] I make
myself a solemn promise, I’ll keep my word to myself[...] I’ll develop my mind. I feel better
already. My head already clearer[...] I promise you, and I promise myself!”15
Bérenger is the only character who has the power, throughout the play, to recognize his
faults and weaknesses, moreover, he has the courage to want and try to fix it. He sees everyone
else better than himself, he has the ability to see the positive in each. Concerning Daisy, as
shown, he admires her courage: „It’s precisely for your courage that I admire you so.”16
At Jean, he admires the moral strength, posture, his clothes always neat: „You always look
so immaculate.”17
Bérenger is the only character who seems unsure of himself, who hesitates, who admires the
others, who wants to progress, to become better, to change his life into a tidy one. He is always
looking to improve himself, arguing himself, making promises and even fulfilling it. Even his
slight hesitation in the end, when he sees himself alone, without Daisy and Jean- these having
suffered the transformation, Bérenger argues with himself, then he courageously confesses
himself he will never convert. Then he has the power to recognize his limits and flaws, thing
which humanizes him even more: „Now I’m a monster, just a monster. Now I’ll never become a
rhinoceros, never, never! [...] I am so ugly!”
Bérenger, eventually, has the task of saying the key phrase of the play. In solitude, man
cannot succeed. Without the support of others, Bérenger cannot be happy, on his own, even if he
knew he was right: „People who try to hang on to their individuality always come to a bad
end!”18
11
Ibidem, p. 119.
Ibidem, p. 119.
13
Ibidem, p. 119.
14
Ibidem, pp. 11-12.
15
Ibidem, pp. 30-31.
16
Ibidem, p. 118.
17
Ibidem, p. 12.
18
Ibidem, p. 124.
12
Can Human Beings Remain “Uncontaminated” by the Invasion of Rhinoceros?
231
Conclusions
Victor Hugo proves us that those who want to repent, succeed to save themselves through inner
strength, morality and faith. Human being can save herself from the invasion of evil only if she
finds the path to deliverance, by her own forces. Anyone can become a better person, one can
even help others to become better, if one has hope, trusts in God and in his own forces.
Eugène Ionesco shows us that both, Daisy and Jean’s, apparent self-confidence throughout
the play, were, in fact, hiding the weakness of their personality. Man needs the confirmation of
his value, and the only one asking for advice and confirmation is Bérenger. He is the key figure,
and through his voice, the author tells us all, that the human being is happy loving and being
loved, hesitating and trying to become a better individual, being surrounded by people in whose
consciousness and actions the human being can be mirrored.
We all have to determine who the real rats or rhinos invading us are, rhinos which want us to
resemble them, and which is the way that suits us best, to save ourselves form transformation.
There isn’t a second awareness that can decide the way to happiness, for us. We are masters of
our own condition: „He who lives is free, no matter how he lives, the important thing is not to
decline to live.”19
19
IONESCO Eugène, Journal en miettes, Paris, Ed. Gallimard, Coll. Idées, 1967, p. 87.