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Jean
The attractive young receptionist at Berenger’s workplace and the object of his affection. Daisy first appears outside the café where Berenger and Jean meet. It’s clear to Jean that Berenger admires Daisy, so he uses the idea of her to encourage Berenger to shape up and abandon alcohol. Later, Daisy takes up where Jean left off and encourages Berenger to drink less as well. Though Daisy initially seems kind and sensible—she saw the rhinoceros and refuses to let Botard insult her intelligence by insisting the rhinoceroses aren’t real—she soon grows sympathetic to the rhinoceroses. She makes it clear to both Dudard and to Berenger that she doesn’t think it’s right to interfere in others’ lives or choices; thus, she refuses to condemn those who are already rhinoceroses for their actions and also refuses to make an effort to stop Dudard from becoming a rhinoceros in the final scene. While Daisy assures Berenger that she never loved Dudard and actually does love Berenger, their romance is short-lived—primarily because Daisy continues to encourage Berenger to not get so worked up about or involved with the rhinoceroses. Though they kiss, Daisy is unwilling to be brave and have children with Berenger in an attempt to regenerate the human race and take control back from the rhinoceroses. She recognizes that the rhinoceroses are immensely powerful, which causes Berenger to hit her. This pushes her toward her final decision to join the rhinoceroses and, as she encourages Berenger to do, live in the version of reality that works best for her.
Daisy Quotes in Rhinoceros
The Rhinoceros quotes below are all either spoken by Daisy or refer to Daisy. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1, Scene 2
Quotes
Botard: You call that precise? And what, pray, does it mean by “pachyderm”? What does the editor of a dead cats column understand by a pachyderm? He doesn’t say. And what does he mean by a cat?
Dudard: Everybody knows what a cat is.
Botard: Does it concern a male cat or a female? What breed is it? And what color? The color bar is something I feel strongly about. I hate it.
Papillon: What has the color bar has to do with it, Mr. Botard? It’s quite beside the point.
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Act 3
Quotes
Daisy: What he said was, “We must move with the times.” Those were his last human words.
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Berenger: They should be all rounded up in a big enclosure, and kept under strict supervision.
Dudard: That’s easier said than done. The animal’s protection league would never allow it.
Daisy: And besides, everyone has a close relative or a friend among them, and that would make it even more difficult.
Berenger: So everybody’s mixed up in it.
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Berenger: He’s joined up with them. Where is he now?
Daisy: (Looking out of the window.) With them.
Berenger: Which one is he?
Daisy: You can’t tell. You can’t recognize him any more.
Berenger: They all look alike, all alike.
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Daisy: I never knew you were such a realist—I thought you were more poetic. Where’s your imagination? There are many sides to reality. Choose the one that’s best for you. Escape into the world of the imagination.
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Daisy Quotes in Rhinoceros
The Rhinoceros quotes below are all either spoken by Daisy or refer to Daisy. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1, Scene 2
Quotes
Botard: You call that precise? And what, pray, does it mean by “pachyderm”? What does the editor of a dead cats column understand by a pachyderm? He doesn’t say. And what does he mean by a cat?
Dudard: Everybody knows what a cat is.
Botard: Does it concern a male cat or a female? What breed is it? And what color? The color bar is something I feel strongly about. I hate it.
Papillon: What has the color bar has to do with it, Mr. Botard? It’s quite beside the point.
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Act 3
Quotes
Daisy: What he said was, “We must move with the times.” Those were his last human words.
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Berenger: They should be all rounded up in a big enclosure, and kept under strict supervision.
Dudard: That’s easier said than done. The animal’s protection league would never allow it.
Daisy: And besides, everyone has a close relative or a friend among them, and that would make it even more difficult.
Berenger: So everybody’s mixed up in it.
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Berenger: He’s joined up with them. Where is he now?
Daisy: (Looking out of the window.) With them.
Berenger: Which one is he?
Daisy: You can’t tell. You can’t recognize him any more.
Berenger: They all look alike, all alike.
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Daisy: I never knew you were such a realist—I thought you were more poetic. Where’s your imagination? There are many sides to reality. Choose the one that’s best for you. Escape into the world of the imagination.
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