Resistance as Belatedness: The Mechanism of Assimilation in Rhinoceros

Abstract

Eugène Ionesco’s Rhinoceros is commonly regarded as an allegorical critique of fascism and collective assimilation. Yet in the play, those who first undergo “rhinocerization” are characters who pride themselves on rationality and emphasize logic and order, while the indolent and hesitant Bérenger remains the only figure who resists assimilation. Grounded in Ionesco’s anti-fascist position, this article reexamines the differentiation of forms of rationality within the play and argues that the mechanism of assimilation operates through the appropriation of formalized rational discourse that has lost its capacity for judgment. Bérenger’s resistance is not heroic in nature; rather, it takes the form of a belated stance that remains out of sync with the rhythm of assimilation.