Rhinoceros by Ionesco essay

Commitment to Free Will Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco starts in a small town where Jean, a witty young man, meets his apathetic and existentialist friend, Berenger, for a drink. During their conversation a rhinoceros runs through the square of the town, frightening everybody with the exception of Berenger. As more and more rhinoceroses appear in the town, Berenger remains the only one unmoved by them. Over time, it becomes apparent that …

…start of the play. He begins as a lifeless, alienated person who drinks too much and finds life worthless, except for his attraction to a co-worker. He is bored by his work and wonders if life is a dream that is controlled by unconscious desires. Despite his escapism through alcohol, Berenger remains an existentialist to the end. His initially bleak outlook on life allows him to remain human even while everyone else becomes a rhinoceros.