We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Biographies

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Who is Alfred Jarry?

Niki Acker
By
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 7,267
Share

Alfred Jarry was a French playwright, poet, novelist, and journalist whose work prefigured Dadaism and the Theatre of the Absurd. His best known work, the five-act play Ubu Roi (1896), was scandalous, surreal, and full of despicable characters. After the play's debut, he began to take on the persona of Ubu, becoming increasingly bizarre and developing an absurd philosophy he dubbed 'pataphysics. Despite his difficult public behavior, Jarry gained a cult following among younger artists of his day, becoming a hero to such people as Guillaume Apollinaire and Pablo Picasso.

Born on 8 September 1873, Jarry began developing the character of Ubu as a young student in Brittany. He and his friends routinely joked about a teacher of theirs, Hébert, who evolved in their imagination into the truly grotesque figure of Père Heb, the original of Ubu. The group wrote a marionette play starring the figure, called Le Polonais, which Jarry would later rework into Ubu Roi.

Jarry moved to Paris at the age of 17, after passing his baccalaureate, in order to prepare for higher education. Though he was not accepted, the city offered him the opportunity to begin a writing career, and he published his first book, a volume of poetry, in 1893. His parents died the same year, and Jarry, who had recently discovered absinthe, quickly ran through his inheritance.

He was drafted into the army the following year, though he did not last long. There were no uniforms small enough for him, and he looked so odd wearing the ones they gave him that his fellow soldiers dissolved into hilarity at the sight. He was regularly excused from drills and finally discharged for medical reasons.

Back in Paris, he continued to write, collaborating with Symbolist writer Remy de Gourmont on a journal of art criticism entitled L'Ymagier. He also wrote novels and plays independently, culminating in Ubu Roi in 1896. The play, with a profanity as its opening line and no attempt to convey any type of clear meaning or to follow theatrical conventions, closed after opening night. Nonetheless, it cemented his fame, particularly among the young Parisian avant-garde.

He was vehemently eccentric, riding a bicycle and carrying loaded pistols everywhere, perpetually intoxicated and dressed in black biking gear. He lived in an apartment that had been divided in half horizontally, forcing everyone besides him to stoop. He ate his meals backward, dessert first, and adopted the nasal, monotone speaking style he invented for Ubu, enunciating every syllable equally and referring to himself in the royal "we." He also used laboriously roundabout phrases, such as "that which rolls" for his bicycle.

He also developed and lived by the absurd pseudo-philosophy of 'pataphysics, which is no more sensical than his plays. 'Pataphysics was delineated in the posthumously published Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, Pataphysician.

With his habitual alcohol and ether abuse, Jarry was not long for this world. He fell ill from tuberculosis in 1907 and had himself photographed as a corpse for postcards to send his friends. He died on 1 November that year, at the age of 34.

After his death, Ubu Roi was restaged and grew in popularity, and his two other Ubu plays, Ubu Cuckolded and Ubu Enchained, were published. He was immensely influential on later artists of the 20th century. Pablo Picasso idolized him and often carried his pistol. He also owned many of Jarry's manuscripts and a drawing of the author.

Share
PublicPeople is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Niki Acker
By Niki Acker
"In addition to her role as a PublicPeople editor, Niki Foster is passionate about educating herself on a wide range of interesting and unusual topics to gather ideas for her own articles. A graduate of UCLA with a double major in Linguistics and Anthropology, Niki's diverse academic background and curiosity make her well-suited to create engaging content for WiseGeekreaders. "
Discussion Comments
Niki Acker
Niki Acker
"In addition to her role as a PublicPeople editor, Niki Foster is passionate about educating herself on a wide range of...
Learn more
Share
https://www.publicpeople.org/who-is-alfred-jarry.htm
Copy this link
PublicPeople, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

PublicPeople, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.