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ByTEJUCOLE NOV.11,2016

ItisaSundayafternooninaprovincialtowninFrance.Twomenmeetatacafe.Oneofthem,Berenger,ishalfdrunk.
Heisbeingberatedbyhiscompanion,Jean.Allofthesudden,theyhearagreatnoise.Whentheyandother
townspeoplecranetheirneckstofigureoutwhatsgoingon,theyseealargeanimalthunderingdownoneofthe
streets,stampingandsnortingalltheway.Arhinoceros!Notlongafter,theresanother.Theyarestartled.Its
outrageous.Somethingmustbedone.Whattheybegintodoisargueheatedlyaboutwhetherthesecondrhinowas
thefirstonegoingpastasecondtimeoradifferentone,andthenaboutwhethertherhinosareAfricanorAsiatic.

Thingsbecomemoredisturbinginthenextact.(Thisisaplay:Rhinoceros,writtenbyEugneIonesco.)The
rhinosightingscontinuetobethesubjectofpointlessdispute.Then,onebyone,variouspeopleinthetownbeginto
turnintorhinos.Theirskinhardens,bumpsappearovertheirnosesandgrowintohorns.Jeanhadbeenoneofthose
scandalizedbythefirsttworhinosightings,buthebecomesarhino,too.Midwaythroughhismetamorphosis,
Berengerargueswithhim:Youmustadmitthatwehaveaphilosophythatanimalsdontshare,andanirreplaceable
setofvalues,whichitstakencenturiesofhumancivilizationtobuildup.Jean,wellonhiswaytobeingarhino,
retorts,Whenwevedemolishedallthat,wellbebetteroff!

Itisanepidemicofrhinoceritis.Almosteveryonesuccumbs:thosewhoadmirethebruteforceoftherhinos,
thosewhodidntbelievethesightingstobeginwith,thosewhoinitiallyfoundthemalarming.Onecharacter,Dudard,
declares,Ifyouregoingtocriticize,itsbettertodosofromtheinside.Andsohewillinglyundergoesthe
metamorphosis,andtheresnowaybackforhim.ThefinalholdoutsfromthismasscapitulationareBerengerand
Daisy,hiscoworker.

EugneIonescowasFrenchRomanian.HewroteRhinocerosin1958asaresponsetototalitarianmovements
inEurope,buthewasinfluencedspecificallybyhisexperienceoffascisminRomaniainthe1930s.Ionescowantedto
knowwhysomanypeoplegiveintothesepoisonousideologies.Howcouldsomanygetitsowrong?Theplay,an
absurdfarce,wasonewayhegrappledwiththisproblem.

OnAug.19,2015,shortlyaftermidnight,thebrothersStephenandScottLeaderassaultedGuillermoRodriguez.
RodriguezhadbeensleepingnearatrainstationinBoston.TheLeaderbrothersbeathimwithametalpipe,breaking
hisnoseandbruisinghisribs,andcalledhimawetback.Theyurinatedonhim.Alltheseillegalsneedtobe
deported,theyaresaidtohavedeclaredduringtheattack.Thebrotherswerefansofthecandidatewhowouldgoon
towintheRepublicanpartyspresidentialnomination.Toldoftheincidentatthetime,thatcandidatesaid:People
whoarefollowingmeareverypassionate.Theylovethiscountry,andtheywantthiscountrytobegreatagain.

Thatwasthemomentwhenmymentalalarmbells,alreadyringing,wentamok.Thereweremanyother
astonishingeventstocometheaccountsofsexualviolence,theevidenceofracism,thepromiseoftorture,the
advocacyofwarcrimesbuttheassaultonRodriguez,aswellasthelargelytolerantresponsetoit,wasamarker.
Somepeoplewereoutraged,butoutragesoonbecameitsownineffectualreflex.Othersfoundarichveinofhumorin
theparadeofobscenitiesandcruelties.OtherssimplytookaviewsimilartothatofthecharacterBotardinIonescos
play:Idontmeantobeoffensive.ButIdontbelieveawordofit.Norhinoceroshaseverbeenseeninthiscountry!

IntheearlyhoursofNov.9,2016,thewinnerofthepresidentialelectionwasdeclared.Asthedayunfolded,the
extenttowhichamoralrhinoceritishadtakenholdwasapparent.Peoplemagazinehadagiddypieceaboutthe
presidentelectsdaughterandherfamily,asequenceofphotosthattheyheadlinedwaytoocute.InTheNewYork
Times,oneopinionpiecesuggestedthatthebelligerentbigotssupportersoughtnotbeshamed.Anotherasked
whetherthispresidentelectcouldbeagoodpresidentandfoundcauseforoptimism.Cablenewsanchorswereable
toexpresstheirsurpriseattheoutcomeoftheelection,butnotinanywayvocalizetheirfury.Allaroundwerethe
unmistakablesignsofnormalizationinprogress.Somanywerefallingintolinewithoutbeingpushed.Itwas
happeningattremendousspeed,likeacontagion.Anditwascatchingeventhosewhoseplanwas,likeDudardsin
Rhinoceros,tocriticizefromtheinside.

Evilsettlesintoeverydaylifewhenpeopleareunableorunwillingtorecognizeit.Itmakesitshomeamongus
whenwearekeentominimizeitordescribeitassomethingelse.Thisisnotaprocessthatbeganaweekormonthor
yearago.Itdidnotbeginwithdroneassassinations,orwiththewaronIraq.Evilhasalwaysbeenhere.Butnowithas
takenonatotalitariantone.

AttheendofRhinoceros,Daisyfindsthecalloftheherdirresistible.Herskingoesgreen,shedevelopsahorn,
shesgone.Berenger,imperfect,allalone,israckedbydoubts.Heisdeterminedtokeephishumanity,butlookingin
themirror,hesuddenlyfindshimselfquitestrange.Hefeelslikeamonsterforbeingsooutofstepwiththe
consensus.Heisafraidofwhatthisindependencewillcosthim.Buthekeepshisresolve,andrefusestoacceptthe
 horriblenewnormalcy.Hellputupafight,hesays.Imnotcapitulating!

TejuColeistheauthor,mostrecently,oftheessaycollectionKnownandStrangeThings.Heis
themagazinesphotographycritic.

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