Eugene Ionesco's 'Rhinoceros,' narrates the personal struggle of Berenger, as he is torn between conforming to the shared identity of the majority and remaining an individual by refusing to give in to social conformity. Such is depicted by Berenger's conflicting thoughts, both of conformity, 'I should have gone with them while there was still time,' and of resistance to the majority, 'People who try to hang on to their individuality always come to a bad end?'? I'll put up a fight against the lot of them, the whole lot of them! I'm the last man left, and I'm staying that way until the end. I'm not capitulating!' (Ionesco 109). He is at odds with much of his society for several reasons, from his personal struggle to his disregard for dressing standards and fondness for alcohol, setting himself to be an outsider by being uncertain of his identity. The unusual circumstance veiling the issue of individuality that presents Berenger with the decisions of whether or not to become a rhinocerous is not something one ordinarily faces. As the play carries on, the pressure placed on Berenger by his peers mounts with their attempts to dissuade him from his current behavior, but their efforts only succeed in driving him further away. The anxiety to conform weighs down on him, but by doing so he would lose his battle with society and himself. With Berenger's introduction in the play we see that he is a man at odds with his surroundings. This concept is first highlighted in the argument with his friend Jean over Berenger's disheveled appearance, one attribute that aids in making Berenger an outsider among his fashionable peers. Jean bluntly states that Berenger needs to take more pride in his looks, because his 'clothes are all crumpled, they're a disgrace! Your shirt is downright filthy, and your shoes?'?You're shoes haven't been touched. What a mess you're in!' Jean even goes as far as to say 'I feel ashamed to be your friend' (6). With such harsh treatment from a friend it is no wonder that Berenger is so melancholy. This in turn has something to do with Berenger's affinity to alcohol, a vice that also places him on the outside of society. While he is not necessarily an unruly drunkard, people instantly write him off as a debauchee for his habit of drinking on the weekends 'just to relax' (7). When he is questioned regarding the validity of Miss Daisy's claims that a rhinoceros ran through the city, for example, his work colleague Botard is convinced that Berenger's 'vivid imagination,' that is to say, his drinking habit, is to blame for what could only logically be explained as a wild hallucination. This is further exemplified by Botard's stage directions when he 'makes a sign behind Berenger's back to indicate he drinks' (43). Berenger's meek explanation for this behavior is that he 'just can't get used to life' (7), but it seems more that he cannot fall into the role his society has selected for him. Such mistreatment from his contemporaries does nothing to increase Berenger's desire to fit in, and in reality has the opposite effect, giving him more reason to drink. Before any of the transformations take place, Berenger feels as if he is an outsider in his own community, citing this as one of his reasons for drinking. His need to 'unwind' through alcohol distances himself from others, pulling the thread that binds him to society. He seems to single himself out intentionally, convinced that no one else could possibly relate to him or what he is going through, feelings that multiply once the transformations begin. Dudard is of the opinion that Berenger causes many of his own problems by being focusing on them, pointing out that 'You think everything revolves round you, you think that everything that happens concerns you personally; you're not the centre of the universe, you know' (74) and that his reaction to the rhinoceroses is unreasonable because 'They're not doing you any harm. Really, you're obsessed by them!' (76). The play's final scene presents us with a similar image of Berenger, consumed by his own thoughts and opinions, and determined to stick to them no matter what. His closing soliloquy illustrates this bitter determination, in which he exclaims his refusal to surrender and that he will remain human even if he is the last of the species. There are suggestions of change in Berenger such as Daisy's claim to remain by his side 'to the very end' (104), and his resolution to stop drinking, but stubbornness and pessimism quickly ruin his good fortune. His habit of singling himself out and driving others away holds true, and he is left alone once more. Wrestling with conformity and his identity causes the behavior that is responsible for his solitude, to his dismay. This regret is revealed with him wishing 'there was still time' (109), to be one with his peers rather than preserving his individuality and being left alone. His struggle is multiplied the most with the loss of Daisy, whose words are the only ones to reach his ears. Berenger's lonely end shows the continuing internal conflict, regretting his decision and solidarity while simultaneously declaring he will never give in.
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