A playwright and poet, Chris Semansky teaches literature and writing at Portland Community College. In the following essay he discusses the role of class conflict in Anouilh's Ring Around the Moon.

Behind the thinner, lighter veil of Jean Anouilh's charade, Ring Around the Moon, lies two sorts of class conflict. First, is the friction between the older aristocracy ("old money") and the emerging and usurping industrialist bourgeoisie ("new money"). The second is the tension between both of these wealthy groups and the working class. The characters belonging to each camp are as follows: in the aristocracy, the Desmermortes side composed of Hugo, Frederic, Lady India, and Madame. In the wealthy bourgeoisie, the Messer-schmanns: Messerschmann, Diana, and though not part of the family, Romainville, because he runs Messerchmann's pig-iron company. Also in this class are many of the unnamed and unspoken guests at Madame's ball who, Diana states...