Rhinoceros Drugs and Alcohol Quotes

Man, Jean is not above judging his friends. However, his judgment does give us a glimpse into Berenger’s nature. Berenger is a guy, at least at the beginning of the play, who is into drinking…a lot.

So, Berenger likes drinking, but he doesn’t seem all that concerned about it. He knows he’s hung over and he knows he wants another drink, and he knows that society sort of frowns on that sort of thing, especially on a Sunday morning.

When we need to cite the medical dictionary entry on cirrhosis, we know things are serious (hint: it’s a disease that has to do with drinking). But back to the plot: sometimes, like when medicine comes in, it might be okay to judge. While Jean can get a little high and mighty at times, he does seem to have legitimate concerns about his friend, and he’s willing to put it out there. As long as he’s got some big words to back it up.

Again, Berenger doesn’t seem overly concerned with his state. But this is the moment when he at least starts to realize that alcohol has come to affect every aspect of his life.

It’s hard to know if Jean is practicing some tough love here with Berenger or if he’s just acting all superior. In the end, we discover that Jean was not quite the happy, perfect guy he led on to believe (you know, when he turns rhino), so this might be more of a chance for Jean to demonstrate his superiority than a chance to actually help his friend.

First symptom of an alcoholic: the words that just came out of Berenger’s mouth. The whole fear thing means he pretty much functions like an alcoholic—but wait! There could be a little more to it than just that. After all, why’s he so frightened? Maybe Berenger has a sense that something just isn’t quite right. He doesn’t know of what, but he knows he’s scared. His fears prove to be pretty well founded just a few minutes after this exchange.

Again, Berenger justifies his drinking. He also starts to realize how heavy he feels all the time (not rhino heavy, but still), and he starts to believe that change is necessary. Pretty soon, he’ll be agreeing to turn his life around. He talks himself out of all that, but for a few minutes he really looks like he wants to make some changes.

At this point, it might seem like Jean is right about everything, even if he is kind of smug about it all. However, as the play progresses, we see that Berenger is actually the only one strong enough to stand by his convictions.

Jean’s advice about Berenger’s drinking and other problems is simple: act more like me, and you’ll be better off. This is the first time Berenger is faced with the idea of conforming in the play.

By the end, Berenger has cut back on his drinking, so Daisy uses it as a reward for him. We’re not sure this is the best way to handle things, but regardless of that, it’s clear that Berenger still wants to drink. It’s not as though this play is about him turning over a new leaf when it comes to alcohol or anything. But at least he stands up to the rhinos.