After the play on Wednesday, a couple of people stayed back to talk with some of the actors (I being one of those people). Someone asked the actors if they felt the play was a complete was a complete dramatic action seeing that it began and ended with the same scene: the older Emile holding his shoe. Not only is this a very interesting plot choice, but it's also sysphinian, in a way. Even though his problems with the other boxer are resolved, nothing has really changed. His life is still the same afterwards, and his mind is in a downward spiral. The only thing he fixed was just a "system."
But for Camus I feel that the Man in the Ring is a warning for those who pay too much attention to what others want from them. Young Emile comes to the US to sing, make hats, and play baseball. Instead he goes into boxing because that's what brings home money. This makes him miserable. It is peer pressure which causes him to kill the other boxer. Maybe he would have been less miserable if he had lived the life Camus wanted him to live.
I agree. I think that the play drew a very interesting contrast between happiness and success.
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