Jack, or The Submission (1955) by Eugène Ionesco (Summary)

 

Jack, or The Submission (1955)

by Eugène Ionesco

(Summary) 

Summary of Jack, or The Submission (1955) by Eugène Ionesco

Jack, or The Submission is a wildly comic and deeply unsettling play from the Theatre of the Absurd. It tells the story of a young man named Jack who is pressured by his family to conform to society’s expectations—especially in marriage. What unfolds is a strange, exaggerated, and almost grotesque comedy about identity, obedience, and the loss of individuality.

 

The Story

The play opens in a rigid and peculiar household. Jack sits stiffly while his entire family surrounds him—his father, mother, grandmother, and others—all sharing similar names and personalities, as if they are nearly interchangeable. Their speech is repetitive, mechanical, and strangely formal.

Jack is in trouble.

His crime? He refuses to conform.

The family accuses him of rebellion because he once said, “I don’t like potatoes with bacon.” In this world, that statement is not about food—it is a dangerous declaration of independence. Potatoes with bacon symbolize tradition, normalcy, and unquestioned obedience. To reject them is to reject the family, society, and even reality itself.

His father sternly reminds him that in their family, one must love potatoes with bacon. One must think like everyone else. One must behave properly.

Jack resists at first. He seems uncomfortable, confused, even defiant. But the pressure mounts. The family insists that he must redeem himself by doing what every normal young man should do—get married.

They summon a suitable bride.

Enter Roberta.

Roberta is introduced as the perfect match. She comes with her own bizarre family background and an exaggerated sense of propriety. But something is off. She seems incomplete—almost artificial. Her conversation is stiff and rehearsed. She talks in circular phrases, as if she has memorized lines about love without understanding them.

Jack finds her strange. He hesitates.

But the family pushes harder.

Marriage, they insist, is duty. Marriage is submission. Marriage proves normality. Individual feelings do not matter.

Roberta reveals something disturbing: she has three noses. Or perhaps it is metaphorical. Or perhaps it is literal. In Ionesco’s absurd universe, such details blur the line between physical deformity and symbolic strangeness. Her oddity represents the absurdity of social expectations—yet everyone treats it as completely acceptable.

Jack is horrified at first.

But gradually, something changes.

Under relentless pressure, he begins to echo the family’s words. He starts repeating their phrases. His resistance weakens. The language that once felt unnatural now becomes his own.

Roberta begins to speak more passionately, though her passion feels mechanical. She and Jack exchange strange declarations of affection that resemble rehearsed clichés. Love becomes not an emotion but a script.

Finally, Jack submits.

He agrees to marry Roberta. The family rejoices—not because of love, but because order has been restored. Conformity has triumphed.

The once-rebellious Jack now sounds exactly like everyone else.

The play ends not with celebration, but with a disturbing sense of loss. Jack’s individuality has dissolved. His initial resistance—symbolized by something as simple as a dislike for potatoes with bacon—has been crushed under the weight of tradition and expectation.

 

Themes Woven Through the Story

1. Conformity vs. Individuality

Jack’s rebellion is tiny but significant. In Ionesco’s world, even a minor preference becomes a threat to rigid social structures.

 

2. The Absurdity of Language

Dialogue circles endlessly. Words lose meaning. Characters repeat phrases as though language itself has become hollow. Communication feels mechanical rather than human.

 

3. Family as a Social Machine

The family is less a loving unit and more an enforcement system. Their identical names and attitudes blur their identities, emphasizing uniformity over individuality.

 

4. Marriage as Social Obligation

Marriage is not portrayed romantically. Instead, it is presented as a ritual of submission—an act that ensures one’s place within society.

 

The Overall Tone

The play is comic—but uncomfortably so. The exaggerated behavior, repetitive dialogue, and surreal details create laughter. Yet beneath the humor lies anxiety. The audience begins to recognize how easily society demands sameness—and how quietly rebellion can be erased.

In true Theatre of the Absurd fashion, the play does not offer a moral lesson. Instead, it presents a distorted mirror. The world of Jack is ridiculous—but disturbingly familiar.