The Screens (Les Paravents, 1961) by Jean Genet (Characters Analysis of Major Characters)

 

The Screens (Les Paravents, 1961)

by Jean Genet

(Characters Analysis of Major Characters) 

Character Analysis of Saïd in The Screens (Les Paravents, 1961) by Jean Genet

Saïd, the central figure in The Screens, is one of Jean Genet’s most complex and unsettling creations. Rather than embodying the qualities of a traditional tragic hero, Saïd emerges as an anti-hero defined by contradiction, instability, and moral ambiguity. His character resists sympathy in conventional terms, yet he remains compelling because he reflects a deeper exploration of identity, survival, and illusion within a fractured world.

At the core of Saïd’s character is his opportunistic nature. He is driven not by ideology, loyalty, or moral conviction, but by immediate self-interest. Throughout the play, he steals, deceives, and manipulates others, often without remorse. His actions reveal a man shaped by harsh circumstances, where survival outweighs ethical considerations. However, Saïd is not merely a product of poverty or oppression; he actively embraces cunning and betrayal as tools, suggesting a conscious rejection of moral stability. This makes him both a victim of his environment and an agent of his own degradation.

Saïd’s relationship with identity is particularly significant. He does not possess a fixed sense of self but instead shifts between roles depending on the situation. At different moments, he appears as a rebel, a husband, a traitor, or a dreamer seeking recognition. These shifting identities are not attempts at growth or transformation but rather performances, reflecting his inability—or unwillingness—to anchor himself in any consistent role. In this sense, Saïd embodies the play’s larger theme of identity as something fluid and constructed. He is less a coherent individual than a series of masks, each adopted for advantage or survival.

Despite his moral flaws, Saïd is marked by a persistent desire for recognition and significance. He seeks to rise above his lowly status, to be seen and acknowledged in a world that otherwise marginalizes him. Yet this desire is never fulfilled in any meaningful way. Instead, his attempts at self-assertion often lead to further humiliation or failure. This gap between his aspirations and his reality underscores the tragic dimension of his character. His dreams are not noble or heroic, but they reveal a deeply human longing to matter, even if only within illusion.

His relationship with his mother further complicates his character. She both supports and manipulates him, embodying a harsh form of maternal devotion. Through her, Saïd is both enabled and constrained. Their bond reflects a world in which affection is intertwined with survival, and where emotional connections are shaped by necessity rather than tenderness. Saïd’s dependence on her, despite his apparent independence, highlights his vulnerability beneath his outward cunning.

Saïd’s eventual death does not resolve his character but rather extends it into another realm. In the afterlife, he continues to exist, observe, and participate, suggesting that his identity—fragmented and unstable in life—persists beyond it. Death does not grant him clarity or redemption; instead, it reinforces the play’s vision of existence as an ongoing performance. Saïd remains trapped within the same patterns of illusion and ambiguity, even after his physical end.

Ultimately, Saïd represents the collapse of traditional heroic ideals. He is neither a noble rebel nor a clear victim but a figure caught between forces he neither fully understands nor transcends. His contradictions—selfish yet yearning, degraded yet striving, fluid yet trapped—make him a powerful embodiment of the play’s central concerns. Through Saïd, Jean Genet presents a character who is not meant to be admired or condemned in simple terms, but rather confronted as a reflection of a world where identity, morality, and meaning are perpetually unstable.

 

Character Analysis of Saïd’s Mother in The Screens (Les Paravents, 1961) by Jean Genet

Saïd’s Mother stands as one of the most striking and enduring figures in The Screens, a character who embodies resilience, cunning, and the harsh instincts required for survival in a fractured and oppressive world. Unlike traditional maternal figures associated with warmth, morality, or sacrifice, she is shaped by necessity and deprivation, presenting a form of motherhood that is pragmatic, manipulative, and deeply intertwined with the struggle to endure.

At the core of her character lies an unyielding will to survive. She exists in a world marked by poverty, instability, and colonial tension, where survival demands resourcefulness rather than virtue. As a result, she engages in theft, deceit, and manipulation without hesitation. These actions are not portrayed as moral failings in a conventional sense but as strategies developed in response to a hostile environment. Her resilience is not heroic in a romantic sense; it is raw, instinctive, and often unsettling, reflecting a life lived on the margins.

Her relationship with her son, Saïd, is central to her characterization. She is fiercely devoted to him, yet her devotion is expressed in ways that blur the line between care and control. She supports him, encourages him, and even protects him, but she also enables his worst tendencies. Rather than guiding him toward moral stability, she reinforces his opportunistic behavior, shaping him into a reflection of the same survival-driven mindset she embodies. Their bond is complex: it is rooted in dependence, shared struggle, and a mutual understanding of the world’s harsh realities, yet it lacks the tenderness typically associated with maternal love.

Saïd’s Mother also represents continuity and endurance within the play. While many characters, including Saïd himself, succumb to violence and death, she persists. Her survival extends beyond individual events, suggesting a kind of timeless presence. In this sense, she becomes symbolic of those who endure history rather than shape it—figures who navigate cycles of conflict without ever escaping them. Her persistence contrasts sharply with Saïd’s instability, highlighting her as a more grounded, though equally morally ambiguous, figure.

Another significant aspect of her character is her awareness of illusion and performance. Like many figures in the play, she understands that identity and power are often constructed through appearances. She adopts roles, manipulates perceptions, and uses whatever means necessary to maintain her position. This awareness aligns her closely with the play’s broader theatricality, as she becomes both a participant in and a manipulator of the performances that define her world.

Despite her strength, Saïd’s Mother is not presented as a figure of triumph. Her life is marked by struggle, and her actions often reinforce the very conditions that confine her. She does not transcend her circumstances but adapts to them, embodying a form of survival that is both admirable and troubling. Her character resists moral judgment, existing instead in a space where conventional distinctions between right and wrong lose their clarity.

Ultimately, Saïd’s Mother serves as a powerful representation of endurance in a world defined by chaos and instability. Through her, Jean Genet presents a figure who is neither idealized nor condemned, but who stands as a testament to the complexities of survival. Her strength, cunning, and persistence make her one of the most memorable presences in the play, a character who, unlike many others, refuses to disappear even in the face of relentless adversity.

 

Character Analysis of Leïla in The Screens (Les Paravents, 1961) by Jean Genet

Leïla, the wife of Saïd in The Screens, is a comparatively quieter yet deeply significant presence, whose character reflects themes of marginality, disillusionment, and the fragile nature of human relationships within a chaotic world. Though she does not dominate the stage in the way Saïd or his mother does, her role is crucial in revealing the emotional and social consequences of Saïd’s instability and the broader disorder surrounding them.

At the center of Leïla’s character is her position as a neglected and displaced figure. Her marriage to Saïd does not provide stability or fulfillment; instead, it exposes her to indifference, emotional distance, and insecurity. Saïd’s opportunistic and self-centered nature prevents him from forming any genuine attachment, leaving Leïla isolated within the relationship. In this sense, she becomes a victim not only of her circumstances but also of Saïd’s inability to sustain meaningful human bonds.

Leïla’s characterization reflects a subdued form of suffering. Unlike more aggressive or manipulative figures in the play, she does not actively reshape her environment through cunning or performance. Instead, she endures. Her silence and relative passivity are not signs of weakness alone but indicators of her marginal position in a world dominated by louder, more forceful personalities. Through her, the play gives voice—albeit quietly—to those who are overshadowed and overlooked amid conflict and chaos.

Her role also highlights the breakdown of traditional structures such as marriage and domestic life. In a more stable world, marriage might serve as a source of identity, security, or continuity. However, in The Screens, Leïla’s marriage becomes another site of fragmentation. The lack of trust, commitment, and emotional connection between her and Saïd mirrors the larger disintegration of social order. Their relationship does not anchor them; instead, it reflects the instability that defines their environment.

Leïla can also be seen as embodying the theme of disillusionment. Any expectations she may have held—of love, partnership, or stability—are gradually eroded by the realities of her situation. Her presence underscores the gap between hope and experience, a recurring tension in the play. Unlike Saïd, who continues to chase illusions of recognition and power, Leïla’s experience is marked by a quieter confrontation with reality.

At the same time, her character contributes to the play’s exploration of invisibility. While other characters assert themselves through action, violence, or theatrical display, Leïla remains on the periphery. This marginality is significant, as it reflects the experiences of those who exist within historical and social upheavals without agency or recognition. Her relative silence becomes a form of presence in itself, drawing attention to what is often ignored.

Ultimately, Leïla represents the human cost of instability and moral fragmentation. She is not a figure of dramatic transformation or symbolic dominance but one of quiet endurance and loss. Through her, Jean Genet reveals the emotional undercurrents of a world otherwise defined by spectacle and performance. Leïla’s subdued existence serves as a reminder that beneath the shifting roles and theatrical illusions of the play lie individuals whose lives are shaped by neglect, disconnection, and unfulfilled longing.