Rhinoceros

Eugène Ionesco's birth in the early 1900's gave him much background and inspiration for the writing of "Rhinoceros." Growing up in the 1900's he witnessed the first and second World Wars as well as the changing government and totalitarian regimes that came to power. The thematic overtaking of the city by rhinoceroses symbolizes the takeover of authoritarian leaders and the masses complying in order to avoid confrontation. By the end of the story, the reader's awareness of the shift from indifference to responsibility comes from the changing attitude of the narrator.

In the first scene, a rhinoceros runs through the streets of the city and no one seems to be fazed by it. The people don't question where it came from, how it got there, or if they should kill it, they simply run away from it then reappear to watch the show as it storms through their streets. The people are indifferent to anything that does not directly affect them so they simply let it happen by their blatant