point of interest in the god of carnage

The competitive nature of preserving civility can be observed throughout the play, meaning that there is no civility without barbarian tendencies. When Penelope suggests that she "subscribes" to "western values", she implies that these "western values" are the pinnacle of civility, alluding to the idea that any non-western values are barbaric. This is ironic, as she claims to have such profound respect for African culture. Towards the end of the play, it becomes apparent that this is also a thinly vailed attempt to preserve her vanity. The same thing is true for all four characters, as they struggle to maintain their composure. Both Penelope, Alan, Micheal and Nancy display reprobate behavior as their vanity crumbles. This become apparent when their personal possessions are damaged. This raises the question of how inherently our identity is tied to material possessions in a world of appearances. What do we actually stand for as individuals without that safety net of materialism?