![]() Daisy interjects, saying she has witnessed this incident and Dudard supports her. Boeuf is ‘old, tearful, and breathless.’(p.37) The act begins with Botard’s refusal to believe that a cat was killed by a rhinoceros as mentioned in the obituary placed in the newspaper by its owner. Dudard is ‘thirtyfive, grey suit, spectacled, and a young employee with a future.’ There is another employee Botard, a former school teacher, who ‘knows everything, understands everything, and judges everything.’(p.37) Women are described in minimal terms Daisy the receptionist is ‘a young blond’ and Mrs. Papillon, the Head of the Department, is very ‘correctly’ dressed in a dark blue suit and black tie. ACT II : Scene I This scene is set in the office of a firm that publishes law books. All that the logician manages is to conclude that the question is ‘correctly posed ’(p.34). After a confusing exercise in the application of logic, Bérenger points out that the problem is still unresolved. Everyone turns to the logician to resolve the confusion created by Jean after his comment that there were two different rhinos. The Grocer hurries to sell a bottle of wine to the housewife and the old gentleman loses no opportunity to flirt with the housewife. In the middle of the chaos, after the appearance of the rhinoceroses, the proprietor of the café is worried about the payment for the broken glasses that he will recover from the waitress. ![]() Throughout the first act, the conduct of the minor characters is significant. The conversation between them mocks at reason and logic, at the expense of the character of the Logician. The Logician is trying to explain that a syllogism is one that consists of ‘a main proposition, a secondary one, and a conclusion,’ and begins to give examples to the old gentleman: LOGICIAN: Here is an example of syllogism. Parallel to their conversation is the discussion between the Old Gentleman and the Logician. Jean leaves in anger and Bérenger feels remorseful. Bérenger accuses Jean of being a show-off and Jean calls Bérenger ‘a bluffer and a liar’ who has no interest in life and accuses him of being an ‘Asiatic Mongol’ (p. Jean and Bérenger get into an argument over the second appearance of the rhinoceros whether it was the same rhinoceros or a different one, and its species, Asiatic or African. The rhinoceros appears again, killing the Housewife’s pet cat. ‘Oh! a rhinoceros.’ (p.6-7) Jean is amazed but Bérenger ‘did not bat an eyelid’ and keeps yawning (p. The rhinoceros does not appear on stage but its presence is conveyed through sounds and the simultaneous, surprised exclamations of the people there. Suddenly, a rhinoceros is heard charging across the street, rummaging everything and leaving everyone in shock. They represent ordinary people and help create an atmosphere of normal, mundane existence as a backdrop to the appearance of the rhinos. Notice that they are not individualized by the author. ![]() The first act has a number of minor characters going about their daily business the Proprietor of the café, the Waitress, the Grocer, his Wife, the Housewife, an Old Gentleman and the Logician. He does not feel worthy of her as he thinks she may be interested in another colleague Dudard, who is an accomplished, qualified man with a bright future. Bérenger notices his colleague Daisy pass by and confides in Jean about his feelings for her. ![]() (p.5) The monotony of Bérenger’s existence is killing his soul, leading him to drink. every day at the office, eight hours a day- and only three weeks’ holiday a year. His reply highlights his existential dilemma BÉRENGER. It is apparent that Bérenger has a hangover. Jean rebukes Bérenger for being late and coming in a dishevelled state. Jean is logical, a man of clarity, staunch ideas and opinions, but suffers from excessive pride whereas Bérenger is an indecisive simpleton, a passive, shy man but an alcoholic. +/Act I The play begins in a provincial town of France, where two friends, Jean and Bérenger, meet at a cafe.
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