Home (Mirbeau play)

The play centers on Isidore Lechat, a nouveau-riche industrialist and financier who has amassed a fortune through dubious dealings. He dominates his family and community, treating his wife and children as assets. His daughter Germaine is in love with a young man of modest means, but Lechat plans a more advantageous marriage. His son, a spendthrift, is involved in a scandal. The plot culminates in a family crisis that exposes the emptiness of Lechat's values.

Mirbeau uses Lechat to critique the dehumanizing effects of capitalism and the corruption of moral values by money. The play's title, Les affaires sont les affaires, underscores the idea that business ethics override personal morality. Critics praised the play's sharp dialogue and realistic portrayal of the bourgeoisie. It was revived frequently and is considered one of Mirbeau's most enduring works.

The play was adapted into an English version titled Home, which premiered in London in 1904. It has been translated into numerous languages and staged worldwide. The character of Lechat has been compared to Molière's misers and Balzac's financiers. The play remains a staple of French theatre repertoire.

Mirbeau initially wrote the play as a vehicle for actor Lucien Guitry, who created the role of Lechat. The play's success was partly due to Guitry's powerful performance. Mirbeau, known for his anarchist sympathies, embedded a critique of bourgeois society that was ahead of its time. The play's original title is often mistranslated as "Business is business," but it also carries a pun on the word affaires, which can mean both "business" and "affairs."

Nouveau-riche

A person who has recently acquired wealth, often ostentatiously.

Comédie-Française

The state theatre of France, founded in 1680.