Le
Sens de la Marche (The Way to Go) – 1953
by
Arthur Adamov
(Key Facts)
Key
Facts of Le Sens de la Marche (The Way to Go)
Full
Title
Le
Sens de la Marche (The Way to Go)
Author
Arthur
Adamov
Type
of Work
A
stage play (experimental modern drama)
Genre
Absurdist
drama / Existentialist theatre / Experimental theatre
Language
French
(original text)
Time
and Place Written
France,
early 1950s (post-World War II Paris literary/theatrical environment)
Date
of First Publication / Performance
1953
Publisher
/ Production Context
First
produced and published within the French avant-garde theatre circuit
(associated with experimental postwar theatre publishing and staging in Paris)
Tone
Dark,
tense, oppressive, confusing, and unsettling; dominated by uncertainty,
repetition, and existential anxiety.
Setting
(Time)
Unspecified
or timeless modern period (non-historical, abstract present)
Setting
(Place)
Undefined
institutional or controlled space—suggestive of a confined system such as a
camp, bureaucratic structure, or enclosed command environment
Protagonist
No
single traditional protagonist
Closest
central focus: Henri (a partially aware, questioning figure within the group)
Major
Conflict
The
struggle between blind obedience to an incomprehensible authority system and
human doubt, awareness, and the desire for meaning
Rising
Action
The
group begins moving under unclear instructions
Increasing
exposure to contradictory or unexplained commands
Henri
and others begin sensing disorder and questioning the system
Tension
grows between conformity and hesitation
Climax
A
heightened moment of realization where the absurdity and lack of logic in the
system becomes more visible—but no effective escape or resolution is achieved
Falling
Action
Questioning
weakens under pressure
Characters
gradually return to obedience or passive continuation
The
system remains unchanged and dominant
Themes
Absurdity
of existence
Blind
obedience to authority
Loss
of individual identity
Breakdown
of communication
Human
uncertainty and existential confusion
Cyclical,
meaningless movement
Psychological
control and conformity
Motifs
Repetition
of actions and dialogue
Marching
/ continuous movement
Silence
and hesitation
Fragmented
speech
Commands
and instructions
Collective
behavior
Symbols
The
March → meaningless human movement without purpose
Authority
voices → invisible systems of control
The
group → loss of individuality and mass conformity
Unclear
directions → uncertainty
of existence and truth
Confined
space → psychological and social entrapment
Foreshadowing
Early
unclear commands hint at deeper systemic irrationality
Initial
hesitation among characters foreshadows eventual resignation
Repetitive
movement foreshadows the cyclical, inescapable structure
Growing
confusion predicts the failure of communication and understanding
 – 1953 by Arthur Adamov (Key Facts)){kind=link}
0 Comments