In class, we’ve discussed three themes: power, responsibility, and justice in relation to Durrenmatt’s The Visit. After watching Jacques Ellul’s interview, I was able to make connections with his and Durrenmatt’s view towards society.

Jacques Ellul and Durrenmatt both make it evident that there is an issue of power. Ellul argues that people are living an illusion that they are free, when actually they are submitting themselves to a system. The system that he addresses is the very same technological system that is found in Durrenmatt’s play: money. People believe that with money, they are, “free to eat nice things, free to buy a car to travel, etc”. While yes, it is arguable that you can go where ever you want, but the ability for you to travel is only given to you when you trade your time for money. So does that really make you free? A similar idea can be found in Durrenmatt’s play when the people start buying on credit. The people are given the “freedom” to buy all sorts of things like new shoes, but at what cost? To be put in debt to Claire? That would be the same thing as submitting to her, and when viewed in a certain way, she is the symbol of “money”.

Jacques Ellul and Durrenmatt are also both attacking “justice” within a society, more specifically what is moral/good. Durrenmatt makes it evident when Claire bends the rules for certain characters. For example, when Ill tells the policeman about the corruption of Claire, but he refuses to arrest her. In addition, when Claire told the doctor that the next diagnosis ought to be a “heart attack”. These characters were influenced by the wealth (good) that Claire provided, rather than their intended roles by society (also good). This then creates a problem, because it’s unclear of what is morally right to do. Should a society function with fairness, as in ALL people are equal, or is it okay to bend rules as long as the person bending them has a lot of money? Ellul touches on this subject in a way that I believe is more related to the working class people. A lot of the working class citizens work in fragmented roles, and are given justice for their work (bosses gives a salary). That leaves a lot of people determined that what they are doing is morally good, and that the lives they lead are justified. But then that raises the question of why we, as a society, believe that our worth is limited to the same value we give to money? Why does money justify everything? When did a salary become the “good” for someone than actually wanting to play a truly valuable role within a society?