God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza

• Born: May 1, 1959
• Birthplace: Paris, France

First published: Le dieu du carnage, 2007 (English translation, 2008)

Type of work: Drama

Type of plot: Comedy

Time of plot: November 2005

Locale: Paris, France

Principal Characters

Véronique Vallon, a writer, mother of Bruno Villon

Michel Vallon, an appliance wholesaler, father of Bruno Villon

Alain Reille, a lawyer, father of Ferdinand Reille

Annette Reille, a wealth manager, mother of Ferdinand Reille

The Story

One afternoon in November 2005, the upper-middle-class French couple Alain and Annette Reille visit their social counterparts, Véronique and Michel Vallon, in the latter couple’s Paris apartment. Véronique reads from a prepared statement: at 5:30 p.m. on November 3, eleven-year-old Ferdinand Reille hit Bruno Vallon, of the same age, in the face with a stick after an argument in a Parisian garden. Bruno suffered two broken incisors, with nerve damage to the right one. The Vallons have invited the Reilles to discuss the matter.

After briefly discussing the damage to Bruno’s teeth, Annette congratulates Véronique on the fresh tulips in two vases. Véronique reveals that it took some coaching to learn the name of the boy who attacked Bruno; Bruno did not want to look like a snitch.

Alain’s mobile phone rings, and he takes the call. Over the phone, Alain informs his client Maurice about the discovery, by two Australian researchers, of devastating side effects of Antril, a drug Maurice’s pharmaceutical company is making. Alain tells Maurice to call him back, and the couples reveal their professions to each other. Alain is a lawyer, Michel owns a wholesale company for household goods, Véronique is a writer working part time in an art history bookshop, and Annette is a wealth manager. Véronique tells the Reilles that Bruno has a younger sister, Camille. Camille is upset because the previous night Michel took her hamster, whose wheel-spinning noise upset him and Bruno, and set it free in the streets of Paris. Annette appears shocked at this.

Véronique wants Ferdinand to apologize sincerely to Bruno. Alain and Annette prevaricate on the issue of Ferdinand’s sincerity. Michel offers the Reilles espresso and water and clafoutis, a French pastry. Véronique has made the clafoutis from Michel’s mother’s recipe.

Alain takes Maurice’s return call and then calls his colleague Serge. The discussion between the two reveals that Maurice’s company knew about the side effects for two years but sold the drug nevertheless. Now, Alain tries to prevent a public scandal.

Véronique states to Alain that Ferdinand has disfigured Bruno. The couples almost come to an agreement that Ferdinand should come over with his parents to apologize and make up with Bruno. Alain, however, states he cannot be there and takes another business call on the drug issue.

Véronique insists that Ferdinand be sincere in his apology. Alain calls his son a savage and appears ready to leave. Annette asks for more time over coffee.

The Reilles reveal the origin of their sons’ fight. Bruno refused to let Ferdinand join his group of friends. He called Ferdinand a "grass," British slang for a tattletale. Michel and Alain take some pride in their boys’ aggression.

Alain’s phone rings again. Alain tries to put his countercampaign into effect. When Michel challenges Alain about the ethics of his work, Alain teases Michel by asking him about the toilet fittings he sells. Suddenly, Annette begins to feel sick. Alain uses an obscenity while speaking on the phone with Serge, and Annette attacks Alain for constantly talking on the phone. Alain tries to calm Annette, calling her by his nickname for her, "Woof-woof."

Annette throws up violently on Véronique’s books and Alain’s suit. As all four adults try to clean up, the situation deteriorates. With Annette and Alain in the bathroom, Michel and Véronique make fun of them. Alain overhears their sarcastic remarks about his nickname for Annette. To smooth the situation, Michel tells him he and Véronique call each other "darjeeling." All four adults begin to fight verbally with one another. Alain makes vain moves to leave.

Earlier, the plot revealed that Michel’s mother is about to have knee surgery. Now, she calls and tells him her doctors have given her Antril. Alarmed by what he has learned about the drug from Alain’s conversations, he tells his mother to stop this medication immediately. Alain and Annette are ready to leave, as politeness has vanished. Annette calls Michel the murderer of the hamster he put in the street. Michel reverts to obscenities in his speech and proudly calls himself uncouth. Véronique feels humiliated. Michel offers rum to everyone. Véronique regrets having organized the meeting. Soon, all four drink rum.

As they get drunk, the adults fight with one another. Alain teases Véronique about her display of humanism and her forthcoming book on the Darfur crisis in Sudan. Michel states that children lead to disaster. The women object to the men’s plan to smoke cigars.

The verbal altercation escalates with more and more obscenities, and Alain argues that boys’ fighting is normal. Alain tells Véronique he believes in the god of carnage who has ruled the universe since its beginning. He points to the violence in Africa—the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has begun an inquiry about the conflict in Darfur, but he believes it will be of little effect. Véronique suddenly hits Michel. Then she objects to Alain’s claim of universal brutality by stating they live in Paris in an enlightened, civilized country.

Annette snatches Alain’s phone during another call, dropping it into a flower vase full of water. This takes the fight out of Alain, and he collapses mentally. The couples continue to drink as Véronique, Michel, and Annette fight verbally with one another.

The conversation returns to the two boys and their proposed meeting. In anger, Véronique snatches Annette’s handbag and hurls it at the door, breaking her compact and atomizer inside. After more arguments, Annette throws the vases with tulips off the table. When her daughter calls, Véronique lies, telling her that her hamster is well in the wild. At this, Michel questions the validity of all human knowledge.

Bibliography

Allen, Brooke. "The End of the Line." New Criterion 27.9 (2009): 39–42. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 12 June 2014.

"God of Carnage." New Yorker 85.7 (2009): 9. Literary Reference Center. Web. 12 June 2014.

Isenberg, Noah. "Carnage and All: A Discussion." Film Quarterly 65.3 (2012): 44–48. Biography Reference Bank (H.W. Wilson). Web. 12 June 2014.

Karwowski, Michael. "Yasmina Reza: From Art to The God of Carnage." Contemporary Review 291.1692 (2009): 75–84. Print.