What metaphors are used in Rhinoceros, and Other Plays by Eugene Ionesco?

"Rhinoceros" is a metaphor for the rise of totalitarian government. The spread of ideology is likened to the spread of a virus; the only difference is that one must consent to a rhinoceros. The consent is often pressured by various factors, social pressure being a large component. The nature of totalitarian ideologies like fascism and communism is likened to the brute, irrational nature of a rhinoceros, who destroys everything in its way to achieve its goals.