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Eugène Ionesco and Norman Frederick Simpson : Satiric And

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Eugène Ionesco and Norman Frederick Simpson : Satiric And in the Deyarhent of Englisn APPROVAL Nue: David George Hadcock Anido Degree: Master of Arts Title of Thesis: ~u$ne Ionesco md 3Jormar. Frederick Simpson: Satiric and Idealia~icAspects of the Theatre of the Absurd in France and Britain Exainining Comnit tee : ---- 4 (professor Serry ZasloveJ Scnior ~upervisor) -- -..-..- - (Mrs. A'ndrea Exmizing Co - (Dr. Hari shar~na)-,_-I- -- - - - hxterr~alExaminer (Assistac~PTG~ES.~~) (Departrqent of Tolltical Scienre, Sociology an6 Anthropology) To my parents. I wish to acknowledge the cotlsidera'cle asslstance oil Dr. ~\!slcolniPzge in the preparaticn of the bibliogra~hy;cf ivlrs. Andrea Lekwitz fw the long houm spent in reading the meLxscri~L,;or' Dr. J. Z.aslove fir his instructive ad- ice arA sugges~ionsTor new directions ; of Xiss K~ze;LJr ighr for her interest in this venture and helpfui criticisw; and of Yiss Ver~a Kazakoff for her kinciness in tjpiag he firal draft. ABS'fPACr Qne of the m~stsignificant directions of the contemp~rarytheatre has come to be ct&l.ed %he Theatre of the Absurd, The purpose of this thesis is to identify the major aspect of "absurdism" (social satire) as It can be isolated in the work of ~u&e lonesco, rrlting in France, and Dorman Frederick Simpson, w~ltlng_in England, Beyond the sati~_ic elements the thesis will also illustrate how Ionesco has achieved a significant metaphysical level in his drama which presumes a personal faith in the validity of human existence and endeavour. Ionesco is a prolific writer having written over twenty plays, rtxI10 ecrlpts (~esalon de 1'- automobile)- , television scripts (~eJeune-- - Homme % ~arier),- -- scenarios (~'0eufA - ~ur), and a ballet (Apprendre- & archer).- Tn addition, the playwright has been much concerned ~5th presenting his ideas about theatre and his personal life, The two most important Jownals of Ionesco are Notes-- and --. - Counternotes,- * - - - - - . the presentation of ideas on theatre, lectures and interviews, and Fragments- of--- a Journal,.. - some thoughts on the dramatist's philosophy and recollections - of childhood. ~u~zneIonesco was born at Slatina, Rumania, in 1912 of a French mother. He escaped the onslaught of the fascist Iron Guard and lived in France with his family until 1925. In this year he returned to Rumania to study at the University of Bucharest, and later between 1936 and 1938, he taught French at a Junior College in the Rumanian capital. In 1938 Ionesco was awarded a bursary to prepare a thesis in Paris entitled, "Themes of Sin and Death in French Literature since Baudelaire ." The thesis was never ccnpleted . In 1953, Ienesco' s career as a dramatist 5egan when his fir'st play, La Caatatrice----, Ska~lve was produced at Le ~hggtream Noctur~~lesby Nicholas Bataille. Tke play was only a psrtizl success because the au6ience expected to se? a "bald soprano" on the stage and were sadly disapp,3it?ted. Bet after the production of two more of his plays, Lta Leqon, and -Les Chaises-, Ionesco. receis-ed his grcetest boost to date vith t5e publicatior! of ar, article written by Jean Anouilh or_ -Victimes dv I)z7roir. This play as well as Tueur sans Gages, ~hinoc&os, atid -----7 Le bLse I-eurt are aaster?izzes of the modern theatre. "- /' Ionesco has been called ar. "ab~urd',st", an "anti-playwrig'nt" , and an "avant-garde writer .I' He has sls3 &en accused I;;. Kenne%h Tynan in the famous debate which tock pla.ce i:~-----Thr, Cbserxr ia 1958 ES r,ct I being on "the nain road" cf ccnteqorary dram. But :!--ere is r.~dc~~bt I_ - that Ionesco is like Samuel Beckett, a fcr-rr?id&le writer with a novel technique and 5-parnassi~n disrzspcct fcr older foras of draca. 3is metaphysical dilemma is similar to the CanusLan view of e Sisyphien humanity and the abstractions of his onsiric world are rendered as ccncrete images on the live stags. ,x Ionescc's _orogress from foci31 sa~iristto existe~tialidealist is oae cf the most significant sucxss stories of the fiodern tkehtre. N. F. Simps~ncannot be considered on the same 15x1 es Icnzsco, but he will be considered as exemplifying the "theatre of the a-=surdf' in 3ngland. Simpson wl.1: be discussed as a 5ocia.l satirist, who, like Ior,esco thozgh less capakle, presents bizarre an6 out.rageous si5u&tions in his plays to reflect a similar Ciisjoirteiiness in his subur'cm mciety. The chapter on Simpson is designed to complement the chapters on Ionesco shoving, first , that the ava.nt-garcle theatre, dei-iv-ed frm the e ssentisliy 1 French Dada and Surrealist revolutions, is not limited to one language or situation. The second purpose is to compare the styles of Ionesco an6 Simpson as a precedent in determining the success and failure of similar techniques used by both men (eg: the "non-sequitur" and the proliferation of niaterial objects in a rapidly dehumanizing world. ) The main object of the thesis is to deter~ine%hat are the setiric and idealistic elements of the dra:na of ~u$r.e Ionesco and Pi. F. Sirnpsorl. Ioclesco might be speaking for both plaprights in his own expressed desire: , {~eanwhile, meanvhile I have done vh;t I cmld.. .I ha-,re passel the ( time. Rut we need to know how to cut oursei-ves off fron mrselxs and fron other people, pow ts obser$re and hov to lsugh, in spite of. everything to laugh. 1 Ionesco, ~ugzne,Notes and Couniernotes, trans., Donald Watson, Grove Press, Inc. (~ewYork, 1964), p. 12. - vii - TABLE OF CONmNTS I PAGE Abstract ....................................... v Ionesco as Aks~rdistSatirist .................. 1 Ionesco's Subjective World.............. ....... 2 1 The ~&en&erPlays.. ........................... 38 Norman Frederick Simpson: Social Satrrist of the Absurd.. ....................... 61 Conclusion...... ............................... 102 Selected Sibliography .......................... 103 CHAPTER OhrE IOfiESCO AS ABSUFDIST SATIRIST The title "the Theati=eof the Absurd" would seem to be more expediznt than elabora.tive. It is a title which conjures c.sr,cepts beyond tile reah of reason, and i3 sugg.?3tiv2 of an esoteric or uikiliskic philosop;l?r. There is a certain erncuct of trxh irr: thes? inferewes, 511t it is facile to presme that, such nomcccietlir$ ~.s"&snd", "want-ga~de", or "mti- theatrew--which aze ~resentdky different critics as synony~xxs--car: contain a style of writing thet is notably enigxatic in its orlgicelity. Kartin Essldn, $he critic who pegularized the idea of "a5sur-d" theatre, has succeeded in placing many-vorks of the rr-odern theatre in a helpful perspective. Ir_ his book Tb.e Theatre-- of t,h? .AbsurZ., 3sslin has placed the works of Ariano;., Al.bee, Grzss, Beckett , Si~qson,Genet, Imesco, and Pinter, . as well as several other writers, under the sarre banner. The result is some interesting reading, but also an oversimplification since It sems that writers who cannot be considered Brechtian, realist, or expressionist, my be hmogenized into the new category. In his preface to the book, first printed in 1961, Essliz notes that 11 this book is an attempt to define t.he convention that has cone ts be called thz Theatre of the Absurd. 111 The s~ggestionis that the works of hsslil, Martin, The Theatre- of the Absurd, 1st editioc, Apchnr Books, Doubleday & Corripzng, Ir,c., (sew ~orkTl961), p. xii. -2- many diverse authors are the culmination of a long tradition that hss actually existed since theatre began. Esslin's book, therefore, tecds to produce fabricated similarities or generalizations which, while icterest.cg, are not always enlightening: "...there is in Shakespeare a very strong sense of the futility and &bsurditty of the human condition."2 Tkz mznticn of forerunners of contemporary "absurdists", with such conspicuocs ogissioris as Titus laccius ~lautua,~suggests that Esslin has chosen his premises with care in order to channel his argumems. Within reason, thc-refore, ox could invent new cakegoriea at will and dcfec5 t'ne choice by referrins beck into history searching for witnesses. Li The motive behind inclusive titles is good--when the works of the theatre are placed i? perspective they czn be judged as to their literary merit, styie, i~gscton the mdience: and potential to influence future playwrights. 2ut the danger exists vhere conclusivit,y is im?lied, and theatre xhic'n is impregnated xith t5e ele;crlts of the philosophy of the absurd becomes simply "absurd" or "avant -gardew theatre. Ir, SL way, thAs equatlon of a philosophical sjrsimi en5 E, theatriczl style contradicts the essence of avant-gzrh which "wculd seer t2 be sn artistic and cultural phenomenon of a precursr~rynatu-e, which tallies with its literal meaning ...It wocld be a kind of 'pe-style1 ineicati~gand pointing the directlor1 of chszge.. .This cmourlts to zaaykf thrt, the ~vsn5- he comic plays of P1aui.u~ satirized the middle-class society- cf his day much as Ionesco and Sinpscn satirize the bourgeoisie of aodern society. His swashbucklirig heroes and rheir absurd antics inake Plautus as much an absurdiss as, for exarql-e, Arisi;o?hanes--also mentiocei! by Esslin zs a%surd:st precursor. 4 An example of such a catcgcry Is Rsbert 2rustein1a The Theatre of Revolt where Ibsen, Strindberg, Cnekhov? Shzw, Erecht, Piraniello, C"Bei.11 and Genet, are discussed under the saw title. -3- garde cannot generally be recognized until after the ever:t. 5 In the preface tc the secoc? ~ditior~of The Theatre o? the Absurd, Esslin clarifies his posi5ion in usicg the tit16 51it does cot Custify -:hs implicit conclrrsivity; A term like Theatre of the Absurd is a working hypt'nesis, a device to mdce certain fundamntal traits which seen to be present in the works of a number of d.ramatists accessible to discussion by tracing the features they have in cornor?.
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