Invitation to a Beheading

M’sieur Pierre is introduced to Cincinnatus as a fellow prisoner. However, unlike Cincinnatus, he is notably comfortable in the fortress. Whereas Cincinnatus despondently reflects on his life and his imminent execution, Pierre is more interested in swapping anecdotes and jokes. This amiable demeanor thrills Rodrig; the contrast between Pierre’s rule-abiding, agreeable disposition and Cincinnatus’s struggle to engage with the world around him is, to Rodrig, a damning indictment of Cincinnatus, and both Rodrig and Rodion hold up Pierre as the model prisoner. The contrast between Pierre the model prisoner and Cincinnatus the sullen grouch illuminates the absurdity of Cincinnatus’s situation. Not only is he sentenced to die, but he is also criticized for not being light and breezy like Pierre. It also shows why the society can no longer tolerate Cincinnatus’s existence.

The reveal that Pierre is actually Cincinnatus’s executioner is a cruel joke. After tunneling his way into Cincinnatus’s cell and giving Cincinnatus a sliver of hope that rescue is on its way, Pierre reveals that he and the rest of the staff in the prison have been delightedly manipulating Cincinnatus throughout his entire time in the fortress. For Pierre, however, the deception is an integral part of the execution process. He claims that he had to trick Cincinnatus, so that he could build a bond of trust between them, which will give more symbolic importance to the execution. Pierre presents himself as an artisan, someone who cares about far more than just the brutal reality of cutting off Cincinnatus’s head. For the craftsman Pierre, the process itself is part of a storied tradition that must be preserved. This conviction only adds fuel to his criticism of Cincinnatus, whose alienation prevents him from engaging with Pierre’s craft.

Pierre’s adherence to tradition is an important part of the novel. After the reveal of his true identity, he begins the execution itinerary in earnest. This itinerary is based on a long tradition of executions, and includes a lavish formal dinner in which both Pierre and Cincinnatus meet the city fathers. At the dinner, Pierre tells his favorite jokes for the umpteenth time while Cincinnatus barely engages with those around him. The dynamic is telling, as Pierre happily perpetuates the longstanding but unsatisfying traditions while Cincinnatus feels ever more alienated and alone, forced to socialize with the men who have condemned him to death. Pierre actually falls ill from the dinner, forcing him to postpone the execution in a symbolic critique of the traditions of the totalitarian society. Eventually, however, he manages to fulfil his duty. Pierre leads Cincinnatus to the scaffolding that has been erected in Thriller Square. In cutting off Cincinnatus’s head, Pierre liberates Cincinnatus from the institutions that he, as the executioner, represents.

Rodrig Ivanovic is the extravagant, personable prison director. Since Cincinnatus is his only prisoner (at least until the arrival of Pierre), Rodrig takes pleasure in overseeing every aspect of his confinement. Indeed, his own amusement is often more important to him than any sense of justice or institutional legitimacy. Rodrig wants Cincinnatus to be happy to be imprisoned, and when Cincinnatus does not show the requisite happiness, Rodrig is personally offended. Like Rodion and Pierre, he criticizes Cincinnatus’s attitude and demeanor and tries to shame Cincinnatus into playing along with his expectations. Eventually, however, his demands crumble in the face of Cincinnatus’s nihilism.

Rodrig is gifted an ideal prisoner in Pierre. Unlike Cincinnatus, Pierre revels in the absurdity of his imprisonment, and Rodrig is completely enthralled with Pierre, laughing loudly at his jokes and comparing Cincinnatus with him unfavorably. Pierre, Rodrig implies, is behaving exactly how Cincinnatus should behave. Later, however, the truth is revealed. Pierre is the executioner, not a prisoner. Pierre’s true identity reveals as much about Rodrig as it does about Pierre: Rodrig fawns over Pierre because Pierre, like him, is a guardian of law and tradition in the society; they are representatives of the same government that wishes to execute Cincinnatus, and they repeatedly trick him seemingly for their own amusement. Rodrig does not actually care about Cincinnatus’s wellbeing. Instead, his relationship with Pierre suggests that he is simply in love with the theatricality of the enterprise, employing his institutional power for his own amusement.

Whereas Rodrig’s is fascinated and amused by Pierre, Pierre seems to tolerate Rodrig at best. When Pierre and Cincinnatus return from the dinner with the city officials, for example, Rodrig is waiting for them. When Rodrig greets them, Pierre’s reply is curt. Later, Pierre is critical of Rodrig for adding an entry to the list of preapproved final wishes. The evolving relationship between Rodrig and Pierre suggests that even in the context of the absurd bureaucracy of a totalitarian society, Rodrig is too absurd, too self-involved, and too cruel.