How to describe the characterization of Zapo's parents and their role in the play?i would like to know if there is any contrast in the the two...

The characters of Monsieur and Madame Tepan in Fernando
Arrabal's play Picnic on the Battlefieldare meant to represent an
everyday couple who are both loving to their son, and are good, law-abiding citizens.
They are your everyday citizens: Monsieur Tepan is a former war hero, decorated and
quite proud of his work during war. He is a strong believer in the power of the military
and admires both Zapo and Zepo for their service.

Madame
Tepan is sophisticated, eloquent, and seems to be socially aware of the world around
her. She has good manners to the point of showing concern for "not being dead" and
disappointing the corps men. She is overpowering, and does not seem to realize that her
son is a grown men. We know this because of her insistence on checking his teeth to see
how they are doing.

However the differences, the fact
remains that both the Tepans have one quality in common: They are oblivious to
everything and live in oblivion as well. They are an example of a society that accepts
what is placed upon them with no questions asks, as well as a society that pretends that
things are perfectly OK while the world is falling apart around them. This lack of
awareness is more like a social irresponsibility to be in tandem with what the
government and society are really doing to the average citizen. This is the central
message that Arrabal tries to bring with the Tepan marriage.