Episode in the life of an author is an excellent example of his individualistic style that is eminently entertaining and irresistibly

theatrical. It is humorous in its absurdity and its challenges the traditional notions of plot, character development and resolution of
conflict. It has characters who enter, leave and enter again as they seek order in their lives from the art of author. They seem depended
on him to rescue them for the turmoil of their lives. Some are green with envy of the earlier character which the author created
because they live in a play they have ordered. In this sense, they want him to write a story of their lives and, indeed, the play can be
seen as the struggle an author goes through as a piece is written. It is as absurd drama
The play has thirteen characters and requires little by way sets and costumes except false noses for everybody. It is an experimental
play. The language is simple and readily accessible to everyone. It challenges our ideas of order in the world and in our everyday lives.
The play authenticates the view that the primary function of the theatre is entertainment.
The theatre of the Absurd
The theatre of the Absurd is an experimental theatrical style which came into prominence after World War II in the works of writers
such as Samuel Becket, jean Genet etc. Many absurdist plays contain grotesque (ugly) and ludicrous (comical) elements. By the term
Absurd as applied to this moment carries the sense given to it by the thinkers. All these writers feel that man is Out of Harmony
and man always finds himself in exile in a meaningless universe. The term Absurd is also applied to the modern sense of human
purposelessness in the universe without meaning or value. The Theatre of the Absurd is a term coined by Hungarian-born critic
Martin Esslin, who made it the title of his 1962 book on the subject. The term refers to a particular type of play which first became
popular during the 1950s and 1960sand which presented on stage the philosophy articulated by French philosopher Albert Camus in
his 1942 essay, The Myth of Sisyphus, in which he defines the human condition as basically meaningless.
One of the most important aspects of absurd drama is its distrust of language as a means of communication. Language, it seems to say,
has become nothing but a vehicle for conventionalized, stereotyped, meaningless exchanges. Dr. Culik explains, Words failed to
express the essence of human experience, not being able to penetrate beyond its surface. The Theatre of the Absurd constituted first
and foremost an onslaught on language, showing it as a very unreliable and insufficient tool of communication. Absurd drama uses
conventionalized speech, clichs, slogans and technical jargon, which it distorts, parodies and breaks down. By ridiculing
conventionalized and stereotyped speech patterns, the Theatre of the Absurd tries to make people aware of the possibility of going
beyond everyday speech conventions and communicating more authentically.
Farce: A sub- genre of the Theatre of the Absurd; Farce is a type of comedy designed to provoke laughter. It commonly employs
highly exaggerated or caricatured types of characters, put them into improbable and ludicrous situation and makes use of broad verbal
humour, physical bustle etc.
Summary
The author and his wife Ardele are having a furious argument at the beginning of the play. They appear in dressing gowns early in the
morning in the authors study. The entire play takes in the authors study. There are thirteen characters in total. Everybody comes to
the author, expecting him to do something about it. From the beginning till the end we see the author in his dressing gown and he
spends the entire time in his study.
The author and his wife Ardele have been married for twelve years. They seem to be arguing about a letter that the author came across
in the wifes closet. The letter was addressed as My own love and the author accuses his wife of having an affair. The author
presumes that the letter must be written by a man because the letter seems to address from a masculine perspective. She accuses the
husband of rummaging through her drawers and her cupboards, and humiliating her. Ardele tells her husband that she wants to go back
to her mother; the author reminds her that her mother died in 1922. Ardele accuses him of making her miserable by reminding of her
mothers death. She even tells him that she will go and live with her illiterate sister. She tells him that he must be happy to get rid
if her, so that he can go and be unfaithful to her. Slowly, Ardele twists the situation to her advantage and accuses him of waiting for an
opportunity to have an affair.
The first visitor to the house is Madame Bessarabo, who has come from Rumania. She is a journalist and is accompanied by a
photographer. She has come to interview the author about his play La Marguerite and his opinion of love. She assures him that she
will be true to his words and will not betray him. La Marguerite was staged in Rumania and had three successful shows. The press and
the people were in unanimous agreement that it was a great play. However, the press and the people also felt that the play was bit hard
and that is why she wants to know what the author thought of love. The author tells her that the title of the play is ambiguous. The
second visitors are the two plumbers. They have come to check the leak and repair the leak in the house. They inform the author that
they will check in the attic first and move down. After sometime, the maid comes in to inform the author that the plumbers would like
to cut off the water supply.

The caller is a woman, who calls over the phone. She has dialed the number Jasmine one two one two, and seems to be looking for her
ex-husband, Leon. She asks the author if he is Leon. The author replies that he is not. The woman wants to talk to her husband
regarding a flat. She wants him to look for a flat for her because she will have to vacate her old place. The woman again calls the
author the second time and enquires why her husband is not on the line.
There is another caller and he is the authors friend Gustave. He is a writer as well. It seems Gustave is having difficulty coming up
with an appropriate ending for his play. His play is about a woman with the boas, a beautiful woman who falls in love with a man in a
train. It seems Paul Zed, a producer has bought his play and wants to make it into a movie. Liliane Tresor had agreed to play the part
of a beautiful woman. On second thought, the actress had refused because she does not want to die in the end. Moreover, the producer
had asked him to change the ending and make it into a happy ending. The friend is frustrated and says that since he is the writer he can
do what he likes with it. He says, Is life supposed to be a picnic? The author is busy with the interview but the friend expects him to
solve his problem.
There is another visitor and she is the authors mother. The mother also appears bearing her problem and expects her son to solve her
problem. There is a bit of confrontation between the mother and the son. The mother wants the author to look for a flat for her, since
she may have to give up her old flat in case she loses the lawsuit. The author makes his mother sit down and places a paper in her
hands, and tells her that he has got lot of things to do.
The author again talks to Madame B. He states that he believes in Love. Madame B is happy and immediately wants to send a cable to
Rumania. The two plumbers enter the room and check for any leak in the house. They move about the room in silence and leave
through another door without speaking a word. The author states that man is alone in the world.
The authors friend Gustave calls again. Gustave tells the author about the new development with his play. It seems Liliane Tresor; the
actress has agreed to die of consumption and not of any other disease. But the objection has come from the producer now. The
producer does not want the actress to die; instead he wants the actress to join a convent and become a nun in the end. The producer
thinks that death would be a depressing ending. The author again tells his friend that he is busy and occupied and to call him later.
The next visitor is La Surette. He is a tramp and an ex-soldier. Just a week ago, the author had given him seven thousand francs. Now
he has come with another demand. He wants a pair of boots, and money to pay for the gas company. We are also made known that
during the war; La Surette had helped the author. He had lent his bayonet to the author in time for the parade as the author had
misplaced his. Therefore, the author was saved from being court martialled. On this small favour that La Surette had done to the
author, he wants many more favours from the author. The author refuses to give any more money to him, but on second thought helps
him. The woman calls again for the third time.
Ardele appears again to ask the author who will look after the cats when shes gone. She has changed her clothes into and outdoor one
and is wearing an outrageous hat. She accuses the author of being heartless because he says that the cats will be looked after by the
maid. She tells him that she is leaving and that the cats are meowing because she is leaving.
There is another visitor to the authors house. It is the housing inspector. He has come to check on the author. The interview is still
continuing when they are disturbed by the housing inspector. The housing inspector is wearing black dress and informs the author that
he has a requisition order for surplus accommodation. The housing inspector keeps taking notes. He asks Madame B, if she is a family.
She says no. The housing inspector writes Premises occupied by foreign migrs. He notices the photographer also and enquires if
the photographer is also one of the families. He furiously takes notes. After that he declares that the author will get tenant in his house,
brigadier with eight children. Ardele goes near the housing inspector and informs him that she is leaving and he can send in some
other families as well.
At that moment the mother interrupts. She has come across an advertisement about a flat and asks the authors opinion regarding the
flat. When the housing inspector hears this, he again takes notes. The author tells his mother to keep quiet. At that moment, La Surette
interjects by saying that gas can wait but he needs the boots immediately. The housing inspector interrogates the author about the first
floor, second floor and the third floor. The author finishes telling the inspector that there is no third floor. At that moment,
the plumbers come bounding in and tells that the leak is in the two empty rooms on the third floor, and that it runs rights across some
more rooms and ends in a big room with toy soldiers. The inspector is excited and he goes up the stairs to check. The author is
dismayed when the inspector goes up the staircase. La Surette again intervenes and tells the author how he had helped the author
during the war. The author hurls his boots to La Surette. La Surette immediately puts on the boots and talks about dignity. The mother
again bugs him about the flat.

Ardele accuses the author of having an affair and demands to know the name of the woman. The author is confounded. He has no idea
what his wife is talking about. She accuses her husband of looking for an excuse to have an affair. She tells him why should you
choose today to discover Im deceiving you unless youre deceiving me? The author holds her arms and tells her to keep calm. She
again shouts at him saying he is physically molesting her. La Surette again pokes his head through the door and asks the author what
the author has decided about the gas. The author tells everybody to keep calm.
At that moment, the woman calls again. The author tells her that he is Leon and why shouldnt he be Leon. The woman tells him that
she needs to look for a flat. Immediately he tells his mother to talk to the woman about the flat. The mother talks to this woman on the
phone. It is quite comical to see the two women talking. Both of them have no idea and there is so much of confusion. Each one thinks
that the other one has a flat. The mother is excited with the prospect of finding a flat and flies out of the door.
When one visitor leaves the house, another comes in by the name of Gontran. Gontran is a giant of a man. He has come with some
problems. It seems he left his wife Lucienne three months ago for another woman. But now he is agitated because when he calls up his
wife, there is no response from his wife. He doubts that his wife must be having an affair. It is quite comical see this giant man, crying
for his wife. He says Shes deceiving me, old man; shes been deceiving me ever since I left her!. He begins to sob like a child and
faints in the authors arm. Meanwhile, we see Ardele creating havoc with the vases in the house. She goes on a rampage, breaks down
the vases and pulls down pictures and laughs hysterically. The author yells on the top of his voice saying lets be calm. His friend
dials again and hangs up the phone in anger because the author tells him to call again later. He has called again to tell the author about
the brilliant ending he came up with.
As the author hangs up the phone, Ardele comes accusing him. She accuses him if he was talking to his girlfriend. When the author
goes into the kitchen, she calls up the telephone operator and enquires about the last caller. The operator gives the womans number.
Here is another comical scene. We hear Ardele talking to this unknown woman and accusing her of trying to steal her husband. The
woman in turn accuses Ardele of trying to steal her husband. They go on accusing each other. While the two women are fighting over
the phone, we see the author dragging La Surette by the collar. The author finds La Surettes behavior with the maid disgusting. He
shouts at the maid to stop crying. In the play, the maid is seen crying from the beginning till the end. Now we know the reason for her
crying. La Surette has not only comforted, but has made the maid pregnant, and that is why the maid has been crying the whole time.
The author tries to calm down and tells everybody to keep calm. At that moment Madame B reappears with her photographer. They
were in another room the whole time. When she sees the author in a state she thinks that the author has gone mad. Thus instructs her
photographer to take his picture. The author shouts at her to leave. But she refuses to do so, instead takes some more of the authors
picture.
This inspector reappears and tells that the author has 12 rooms to spare. He tells the author that he will install one brigadier and two
new recruits in the authors house. On top of that some old age pensioners will also be put in the authors house. The author keeps
chanting I am quite calm. Quite calm! I am becoming more and more calm Madame B takes some more of the authors picture. The
plumbers reappear and shout that everybody has to take cover and take care of oneself. They say that they have found the leak,
but something has gone wrong and there is nothing they can do about it. Water starts falling from the ceiling in a deluge. Everybody
runs around in a panic. There is again another caller, and it is the friend. He starts telling the author about the ending of his play.
Meanwhile Ardele enters the room carrying a pistol in her hand and starts shooting blindly.
The author has to take cover not only from the water cascading from the ceiling, but also from his wifes bullet and at the same time
trying to protect Gontrans body. The author interrupts by saying tha the prefers a happy ending. The friend gets angry and shouts
at the author saying that a lot of water will flow under the bridge before her calls the author again. Ardele fires her last bullet and
screams. She is worried that she might have hit her husband. She falls into her husbands arms and asks him if he is hurt and faints in
her husbands arms. The woman calls again. The play ends when the ceiling crashes onto the floor.
Comprehending the text: (Questions and Answers)
Q1. Explain the argument of the letter at the beginning of the play between the Author and Ardele?
Ans. The argument of the letter at the beginning of the play between the Author and Ardele was that the Author was suspicious about a
letter Ardele had received and he was saying that it was not from her sister but a man had written it because at the end of the latter it
was written my own love.
Q2. What does Ardele say about her mother and sister?
Ans. Ardele said that the Author is trying to make her more miserable by reminding her that her mother is dead and that she had
nothing left in the world. But she said that her mother had left a house for her and her sister (illiterate sister).

Q3. Where does she own a house in France? Who is the person living there now?
Ans. In France, she owns a house in One-Twenty-Two rues des Retailons in Saint-Male and that her sister is living there now.
Q4. Who is Madame Bessarabo? Why does she visit the Author with the photographer?
Ans. Madam Bessarabo was a Rumanian Journalist. She visited the Author with the photographer to interview the Author about his
last play-La Marguerite.
Q5. What subtle hint do we get from the title of the last play La Marguerite about the Authors concept of love in the beginning?
Ans. The Authors concept of love regarding the subtle hint in the title of the last play LaMarguerite was Marguerite-I love you, I
love you not, I love you, I love you not.
Q6. Why did the plumbers visit the Authors house?
Ans. The plumbers visited the Authors house for repairing the leak.
Q7. What similar incident took place in Madame Bessarabos great uncles house?
Ans. In Madame Bessarabos great uncles house, there too was leakage and there was water all over the drawing room.
Q8.What does the woman want over the phone?
Ans. Over the phone, the woman wanted to talk to Leon, her first husband.
Q9. Who is Moliere? Who is compared to Molieres heroines?
Ans. Moliere is a famous French dramatist (1622-1673). He wrote comedies and farces mostly. The maid is compared to Molieres
heroines.
Q10. What does Madame Bessarabo say about Rumanians?
Ans. Madame Bessarabo said that Rumanians are such great idealist. They believe enormously in sentiment.
Q11. What does Ardele refer as oafish practical jokes?
Ans. Ardele oafish practical jokes refers to the act of the plumbers cutting off water ( instructed by the author) as she was
taking shower.
Q12. How does the Author define love to Madame Bessarabo during their interview?
Ans. During their interview, the author defined love, like the marguerite, has leaves or rather petals.
Q13. Who is Gustave?
Ans. Gustave is a friend of the Author.Q14. What is the story of The woman with the Boas?Ans. The story of The Woman with the
Boas is about a madly beautiful, woman who meets a manin a train and falls in love with him.
Q15. Who agreed to enact the role in Gustaves film?
Ans. Liliane Tresor agreed to enact the role in Gustaves film.
Q16. What does Liliane Tresor refuse to Gustave?
Ans. Liliane Tresor agreed to enact the role in Gustaves film but she refused to die at the end.
Q17. Why did the Authors mother call him immediately?
Ans. The Authors mother called him immediately because she wanted to know about the apartment and she had to let them have her
answer by this morning.
Q18. What does the Authors mother say about her sons married life with Ardele?
Ans. Regarding the Authors married life with Ardele, Authors mother said that if only, he had a different wife then she could come
and live with him.
Q19. How does Liliane Tresor agree to die in the end?
Ans. In the end, Liliane Tresor agreed to die by consumption.
Q20. How does Paul Zed like to end the film?
Ans. Paul Zed wanted to end the film by Liliane Tresor turning religious and going into a convent asit would make it sell better in
Canada and the Channel Islands.

Q21. Who is La Surette? How is La Surette related to the Author?

Ans. La Surette was a tramp and former colleague of the Author. When the Author and La Surette were in the army, La Surette saved
the Author from being court-martialled the time he mislaid his bayonet.
Q22. What does he demand from the Author?
Ans. La Surette is demands a pair of boots and money for his gas connection.
Q23. What does the Author comment about man in general?
Ans. The Author says Man is alone. Man is desperately alone.
Q24. Who is Glothaire? What is the problem with it?
Ans. Glothaire is the cat of the Author and Ardele. It is sick.
Q25. Why does Glothaire look sad and why is he miaowing?
Ans. Glothaire looked sad and he is meowing because Ardele was leaving.
Q26. Why did the housing inspector, the man in black, visit the Author?
Ans. The housing inspector, the man in black visited the Author because a complaint has been lodged against the Author
for insufficient occupation of the premises and that the Author was under threat of a requisition order for the surplus accommodation.
Q27. Whom does the housing inspector want accommodate in the house of the Author?
Ans. The housing inspector wants to accommodate, a father of eight; Brigadier Lapomme in the house of the Author.
Q28.What did the Man in black find in the end?
Ans. In the end, the Man in black found out that there were twelve rooms to spare.
Q29. Where did the leak start according to the plumbers?
Ans. According to the plumbers, the leak started in the two big empty rooms on the third floor that runs right across the table tennis
room, the winter garden and the two libraries and finishes up in that big room where the Author has got collection of toy soldiers.
Q30. What was the accusation made by Ardele about the Author?
Ans. Accusation made by Ardele about the Author is that he is having a secret affair with a woman.
Q31. What terrible thing has happened to the lady telephoning?
Ans. Terrible thing that had happened to the lady telephoning was that she had to find a flat.
Q32. Who is Madam Pripon Minet? Why does the Authors mother call her?
Ans. Madam Pripon Minet is the first wife of Mr. Leon. The Author told his mother that the woman has a flat with four rooms and
thus the mother called her.
Q33. Who are Lucienne and Lea?
Ans. Lucienne is Gontrans wife whom he has left three months ago and Lea is a woman that Gontran is in love.
Q34. Who is Gontran and why does he need a gun?
Ans. Gontran is the sixth visitor and a friend of the Author. He needed a gun as he wanted to commit suicide.
Q35. What is Ardeles opinion about Lea?
Ans. Ardeles opinion about Lea is that Lea looks like a stick, shriveled prune and hasnt even got any hair.
Q36. What is Gontrans accusation about Lucienne?
Ans. Gontran accuses Lucienne that she is not answering the phone, his letters; she is deceiving him and has been deceiving him ever
since he left her.
Q37. What happened to Gontran while talking to the Author?
Ans. While talking to the Author, Gontran sobs like a child in the arms of the Author, fainted and crumbles on the floor.

Q38. What does the woman on the telephone tell to Ardele while questioned?
Ans. When Ardele got the number of the caller from the exchange and dialed, a woman receives the call. Further misunderstanding
was created, both accusing each other of snatching husband and flat.
Q39. What accusation did Ardele make to the Author while he was attending Gustavs call?
Ans. While the Author was attending Gustavs phone call, Ardele told the Author that she caught him in the act. Ardele was accusing
the Author that he was talking to his girlfriend and slaps him.
Q40. Why does Author get angry on La Surette?
Ans. Author got angry on La Surette as he was misbehaving with their maid Leonie in the kitchen where he was sent to eat and drink.
Q41. What terrible thing does the maid inform the Author?
Ans. The maid informs the Author that she was pregnant and it was the cause of all the weeping.
Q42. Why does Madam Bessarabo like to take the photograph of the Author instantly?
Ans. Madam Bessarabo liked to take the photograph of the Author instantly because the Author was behaving like a mad person and
such kind of photograph of a person like him in such state will make sensational headlines.
Q43. Why does the Author threaten to kill the photographer?
Ans. He was asked by Madame Bessarabo to photograph the author in an awful condition.
Q44. What was the suggestion made by the Man in Black after his careful investigation in the Authors house?
Ans. After his careful investigation in the Authors house, the Man in Black suggested that as there are twelve spare rooms, two
policemen will be accommodated there.
Q45. What made the Plumbers frantic in the end? What did they announce to others?
Ans. The Plumbers were frantic in the end because the leak which they found before was the wrong one. Now they found the real one,
something had gone wrong and water was trickling all over the place. They couldnt control it.
Q46.Who started shooting the Author in the end? What was the net result?
Ans. In the end, Ardele comes with a gun and started shooting at the Author, he dodges the bullets. Ardele was scared of the bullet
sound. When she finally shot the last bullet, she was in a frightened state and screamed, finding him not hurt, then she throws herself
into his arms and faints.
Q47. How does the play end?
Ans. In the end of the play, cascade of water brought down the ceiling. In the background, there was lots of panic and Author was
coming forward, dragging Ardele and Gontran who were both in an unconscious state. The dcor falls to pieces as the Author
addresses the public.
Q48. What do you mean by the term Absurd Play?
Ans. One of the most important aspects of absurd drama is its distrust of language as a means of communication. Language, it seems
to say, has become nothing but a vehicle for conventionalized, stereotyped, meaningless exchanges. The Theatre of the Absurd
constituted first and foremost an onslaught on language, showing it as a very unreliable and insufficient tool of communication.
Absurd drama uses conventionalised speech, clichs, slogans and technical jargon, which it distorts, parodies and breaks down. By
ridiculing conventionalised and stereotyped speech patterns, the Theatre of the Absurd tries to make people aware of the possibility of
going beyond everyday speech conventions and communicating more authentically.

Features:

It is different from other plays because of its unusual plot structure.

The events in the play are not logically connected to each other, and to an average audience, meaningless.
The actions of the characters are senseless, useless and meaningless.
One of the most important aspects of absurd drama is its distrust of language as means of communication; they show it is
unreliable and insufficient tool of communication; the broken dialogues and conversation between the unknown woman,
Madame Bessarabo and the author are some of the examples of this.
The characters are found to be troubled and strangely threatened.
Meaningless plots, repetitive or nonsensical dialogue are used.
Defies all norms of conventional drama. There is no dramatic conflict in absurd drama.
Absurd plays are comical and irrational.
To bring about laughter the absurd plays makes use of farce.

Q49. How does the author try to control the excitement of the people? What is the irony in it?
Ans. The author tries to control the excitement of the people by telling them to remain calm. He says lets keep calm. Lets keep calm
to the end. The irony here is that it is he who needs to be calm. From the moment the play opens he seems to be hassled. All the
characters come to him with their problems and except him to solve their problems. In the end he seems to be troubled. He doesnt
find a moment of peace. He needs calming effect, not others. Therefore it is quite ironic to see him saying lets keep calm , when he
is the person who needs to be clam.
Q50. Write a short note on farce as a sub-genre in the play Episode in the life of an author
Ans. Farce, a sub- genre of the Theatre of the Absurd; Farce is a type of comedy designed to provoke laughter. It commonly
employs highly exaggerated or caricatured types of characters, put them into improbable and ludicrous situation and makes use of
broad verbal humour, physical bustle etc.