Amédée, or How to Get Rid of It (1954) by Eugène Ionesco (Symbolism and Motifs)

 

Amédée, or How to Get Rid of It (1954)

by Eugène Ionesco

(Symbolism and Motifs) 

Symbolism and Motifs in Amédée, or How to Get Rid of It

Amédée, or How to Get Rid of It by Eugène Ionesco is built upon powerful symbolic imagery and recurring motifs that deepen its absurdist vision. Beneath the surface of grotesque comedy lies a carefully structured symbolic drama in which objects, actions, and repeated patterns reveal psychological and existential truths. Ionesco transforms the ordinary domestic setting into a stage for metaphysical anxiety, using exaggeration and repetition to embody inner conflict.

The most dominant symbol in the play is the corpse. Its mysterious origin and continuous growth make it far more than a literal body. The corpse symbolizes unresolved guilt, moral corruption, suppressed memory, or even the decay of love within marriage. Because its identity remains unclear, it functions as a universal emblem of the past that refuses to remain buried. The longer it is ignored, the larger it becomes, physically overtaking the apartment. This grotesque expansion dramatizes the psychological reality that repressed problems intensify over time. The corpse is not static; it is invasive, transforming space and relationships alike.

Closely related to the corpse is the apartment, which serves as a symbolic enclosure. The confined domestic space represents emotional entrapment and existential suffocation. As the corpse grows, the walls seem to close in, suggesting that avoidance narrows one’s world. The apartment becomes a visual metaphor for the couple’s stagnant marriage and limited perspective. It is both a physical location and a psychological prison.

Another significant symbol appears in the play’s final image: the floating ascent of the corpse and Amédée. When the body rises into the sky, defying natural laws, it introduces a striking contrast between heaviness and weightlessness. Throughout the play, the corpse represents burden and gravity. Yet in the end, it becomes strangely buoyant. This transformation suggests ambiguity—perhaps liberation through confrontation, perhaps escape into illusion, perhaps death. The upward movement functions symbolically as transcendence, but it is not presented as purely hopeful. The uncertainty of the image reinforces the absurdist worldview.

Among the recurring motifs, growth and expansion stand out prominently. The corpse’s continual enlargement serves as a visual motif that parallels the accumulation of guilt and resentment. Growth here is unnatural and grotesque, reversing the usual association of growth with vitality. Instead of life expanding, decay expands. This inversion reflects the absurd condition of a world where normal expectations are distorted.

Another important motif is circular dialogue and repetition. Conversations between Amédée and Madeleine often repeat arguments without resolution. This verbal repetition mirrors their inability to progress. The motif of circularity suggests stagnation—time passes, but nothing truly changes. Language, instead of facilitating action, becomes a tool of delay.

The motif of creative paralysis also recurs through Amédée’s unfinished play. His inability to complete his work symbolizes intellectual and existential blockage. Art, which traditionally gives meaning and structure to life, becomes another unfinished burden. This reinforces the theme that meaning cannot be easily constructed in an absurd universe.

Finally, decay and odor operate as subtle sensory motifs. The persistent smell of the corpse emphasizes the physical consequences of neglect. Decay invades daily life, making denial impossible. What is hidden continues to manifest through discomfort and disturbance.

Through these interwoven symbols and motifs, Ionesco crafts a theatrical world where the invisible becomes visible and the psychological becomes physical. The growing corpse, the shrinking apartment, the repetitive speech, and the final ascent all combine to express the absurd tension between denial and confrontation. In Amédée, symbolism is not decorative but structural; it shapes the entire dramatic experience, compelling the audience to confront the monstrous possibilities that arise when the past is left unattended.