The
Motor Show (1950)
by
Eugène Ionesco
(Key Facts)
Key
Facts
Full
Title
The
Motor Show (French: Le Salon de l’Automobile)
Author
Eugène
Ionesco
Type
of Work
Short
one-act absurdist dramatic sketch; satirical play.
Genre
Theatre
of the Absurd; Social Satire; Comedy of Language.
Language
Originally
written in French.
Time
and Place Written
Late
1940s, France (post–World War II period).
Date
of First Publication
Publisher
Originally
published and staged in France (associated with early absurdist theatrical
publications and performances in Paris).
Tone
Satirical,
ironic, exaggerated, comic yet unsettling. Beneath the humor lies sharp social
criticism.
Setting
(Time)
Contemporary
to the mid-20th century (modern postwar era).
Setting
(Place)
A
motor exhibition hall (auto show), representing modern commercial society.
Protagonist
The
Salesman (symbolic protagonist as the dominant dramatic force).
Major
Conflict
The
conflict between meaningful communication and manipulative commercial language;
the individual versus persuasive consumer culture.
Rising
Action
The
Salesman begins promoting automobiles with exaggerated praise. Monsieur and
Madame ask questions but receive confusing and inflated responses. Additional
Salesmen and Customers join, increasing verbal chaos.
Climax
The
overlapping claims and exaggerated superlatives reach peak absurdity.
Communication completely breaks down as language becomes noise.
Falling
Action
The
confusion lingers without true resolution. The exhibition continues, suggesting
the endless cycle of consumer persuasion.
Themes
Breakdown
of communication
Consumerism
and material obsession
Illusion
of technological progress
Conformity
and mass mentality
Mechanization
of human behavior
Motifs
Repetition
of slogans
Exaggerated
superlatives
Technical
jargon
Escalating
verbal chaos
Mechanical
speech patterns
Symbols
Automobiles
– Illusion of progress and material status
The
Motor Show Hall – Modern spectacle-driven society
The
Salesman – Manipulative authority and advertising culture
Repetitive
Language – Mechanized thought and communication breakdown
Foreshadowing
The
early exaggerated praise of the automobiles foreshadows the eventual collapse
of meaningful communication. The increasing reliance on superlatives and
technical jargon hints at the coming verbal chaos. From the beginning, the audience
senses that clarity will not emerge—only further absurdity.
 by Eugène Ionesco (Key Facts)){kind=link}
0 Comments