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

 

Jack, or The Submission (1955)

by Eugène Ionesco

(List of Characters) 

List of Characters from Jack, or The Submission (1955) by Eugène Ionesco

 

Major Characters

Jack

The protagonist of the play. A young man who initially resists his family’s expectations but ultimately submits to social pressure, especially regarding marriage.

 

Jack’s Father (Jacques Father)

Represents authority and tradition. He insists that Jack conform to family and societal norms.

 

Jack’s Mother (Jacques Mother)

Supports the father’s insistence on conformity and marriage, reinforcing conventional expectations.

 

Jack’s Grandfather (Jacques Grandfather)

An elderly figure who symbolizes the weight of inherited customs and generational pressure.

 

Jack’s Grandmother (Jacques Grandmother)

Adds to the collective family force that demands obedience and uniformity.

 

Roberta I

The first prospective bride introduced to Jack. She embodies exaggerated social expectations and absurd qualities (notably the “three noses”).

 

Roberta II

The sister of Roberta I. She appears later and becomes the accepted bride, reinforcing the theme of interchangeability and sameness.

 

Minor / Collective Presence

Other family members (depending on staging) may appear or be implied, reinforcing the idea of repetition and uniform identity.

One of the striking features of the character list is the repetition of similar names (Jacques/Jack, Roberta I & II), emphasizing the theme of duplication and loss of individuality.