Anti-Semitism

The most obvious theme addressed in "Incident at Vichy" is the theme of anti-Semitism, hatred of Jews. This theme plays a large role as the play occurs during the Holocaust when the Germans slaughtered the Jews out of a racist hatred. When the play opens, seven detainees are gathered together in a detention center in Vichy, France, wondering why they have been detained. Several of the prisoners insist upon maintaining a state of denial, certain that the inspection is routine, but others recognize the racist motivations behind their arrests. The majority of the detainees are indisputably Jewish. Bayard tells the others about the trains taking Jews to Polish concentration camps where he heard that Jews are being worked to death. Von Berg asks if they have all been arrested for being Jewish, claiming he is sorry because he had no idea, but Bayard says no one said anything...