Sartres No Exit - Essay Example

Sartre’s ‘No Exit’ Sartre Jean - Paul (1905–1980) is debatably the best celebrated philosopher of the 20th century. His remorseless pursuit of philosophical reflection, fictional creativity and, in the 2nd half of his life, dynamic political commitment gained him global renown, if not appreciation. He is commonly considered as the father of Existentialist philosophy. His writings set the tone in lieu of intellectual life during the decade immediately subsequent to the Second World War. Amongst the many ironies that pervade his life, not the unappreciable is the immense admiration of his outrageous public lecture “Existentialism is a Humanism,” provided an enthusiastic Parisian crowd on October 28, 1945 (Contat 56). Although taken as a quasi strategy for the Existentialist movement, the transcription of this lecture was the only pamphlet that Sartre amenably regretted seeing in print. Yet, it continues to be the foremost introduction to his philosophy to the general public. One reason both for its fame and his discomfort is the precision with which it displays the cardinal doctrines of existentialist thought while enlightening Sartre's attempt to widen its social application in reaction to his Catholic and Communist criticism - it offers us a sight of Sartre's thought “on the wing.” In his play ‘No Exit’, he is determined to prove his famous argument; “hell is other people” and perception that there is no God is widely unleashed. He wants the reader to catch his philosophical perspective of belief and reason. No Exit, the Jean- Paul Sartre’s play, coined the famous slogan “Hell is other people!” Anybody may wonder on hearing such a harsh declaration, if this is a portrayal of manhood or just a portrayal of certain categories of individuals who make life more problematic than it ought to be. Sartre's unique vision on hell takes us to an isolated hotel located in an extremely hot place with numerous rooms to be occupied that are better referred to as the damned (Contat 33). This particular play involves majorly three people who died and went to their eternal destination, the Hell. They are three rather selfish and depraved individuals, seeing them in one light. Contrariwise, you can say they are three delicate souls desperately in need of something. However, they have no ability to offer of themselves. Like vampires imbibing the best of all mankind, wanting to be satisfied, yet unwilling to care for anybody, but only themselves. Our first character to meet is a journalist who owns what he calls pacifist newspaper by the name Joseph Garcin. He was shot during the Second World War, although he had deserted his position and fled to Mexico. He is constantly trying to escape from Gomez judgment and others who think he is a coward because he fled in war time. His paramount accuser is himself, the only person he could never escape. Joseph was also a drunk and an adulterer. He deliberately cheated on his wife habitually; even making poor women to serve coffee to his mistresses and him. He was so heartless that he did not care how much he caused his poor wife pain. She died of a broken heart soon after him. Next we have Serrano Inez who is a self declared sinner and foul to the ground. She describes the nadirs of her immorality in the following declaration: “When I say I am cruel, I imply I can not get on devoid of making people suffer. Just like a live coal – a live coal in others’ people hearts. When In am alone I sparkle out” (Hudson 78). Despite her unkind nature, Inez has a virtue; she calls them by way of seeing them. Inez is similar to a vampire because she lives for her bodily desire. She was a lesbian and guilty of ending a marriage and spinning a wife against her spouse. She made that woman her love, and together, they collaborated and killed the husband of her lover. She can look at her wickedness, and accept it as a portion of who she is. Inez consents being in hell and she does not anticipate anything enhanced. In hell, she lusts for Estelle, who despises her, and rejects her efforts to seduce her persistently. She cannot fulfill her bodily longings and must undergo the fact that Estelle desires Garcin, the same way she desires Estelle. Inez defines herself again in the following manner: “It is no use I am all dried up. I cannot give, and I cannot receive. How could I assist you? A dead twig, set for the burning” (Hudson 45). She states “What is the good of looking to enlist my kindness? I assure you that I see everything, and cannot feel sorry even for me. A trap! I am in a trap for myself, from my feet up to my neck, and there is nothing to be done concerning it?” (Sartre, No Exit (Huis Clos) 67) Inez is a highly sensitive, but immoral woman, her own vilest enemy and strictest judge. Then we have Rigault Estelle. She married a three times older man than her because he was rich. She satisfied her sexual desires by having affairs with other man of her age that she loves, and had a child together. Being an immature selfish, unloving brat, who only aims to satisfy her own bodily desires, she had no maturity or love to account for the wants of an infant. In many ways, she is a psychopathic mock infant (Hudson 97). The depths of her wickedness were so weighty that she even murdered her own kid by drowning her at a lake. Her fiancee, who adored the child committed suicide. she was also selfish. She lived delimited by mirrors and viewed her beauty as the only personal asset she had. She felt worthless when she was not admired by a man. She desired for young lovers, comparable to an addict would do to narcotics. She shamelessly tosses herself at Garcin and even gives him false assertion, by telling him he is not a coward. We have another character that showing up at the commencement of this play. He is mainly known as the valet and simply directs the dwellers of hell to their residences. Bored of being asked similar questions about hell repeatedly, he answers graciously, yet with an insinuation of irritation. He tells his visitors that he might come after they ring a buzzard and pleas himself by blaming faulty wiring (Sartre, No Exit: A Play in One Act 20). Sartre’s description of hell is quite not the same as how most people define this hopeless habitation. For our three dwellers, hell is a hot room; it is ornamented with three unpleasant colored sofas of French empire stylishness, with a bronze decoration in the mid. The room is lighted all the time since its occupants never sleep. This room has no mirrors; hence the occupants cannot physically see themselves. The dwellers find themselves in a time dimension that appears to go slower compared to earthly events. They are capable of seeing what happens on earth and spot what those who were within their personal circles do. While they are far away from the living people, the allegations that drive their personalities to utter misery still remain in them. Garcin is always haunted by Gomez, an important person from his past. He sees Gomez speaking to other people on what a coward he actually was (Shmoop 56). Regularly, Garcin feels blamed of being a coward. Estelle, who wants a man to feel authenticated, is haunted by sights of one of her ex - lovers, his new conquest Olga and Peter. Estelle, who is any more in the terrestrial of the living people, has to watch those still alive, enjoying themselves, in means she never can. There are numerous people who endured immense sorrow in their raising, since they came from extremely uncaring and selfish families. They grew up in homes which practiced vices, homes where money was expended only on indulgent desires and not common need. Homes where no one speaks a kind word, no inspiration is ever given. There are numerous children, who are raised up in such dwellings. They grow up being emotional cripples due to exposure to growing up in this kind of environment. Matrimonies can also be hell or a heaven. Sometimes two people marry to only seek their personal interests. They need their partner to satisfy their every desire. They see not essential to contribute to the worthy of the other persons. These kinds of marriages are the ones that not only come to end in divorce, but moreover bring children live empty lives, never learning how to love other people (Campbell 23). Is hell other people? The answer depends on the belief person in query. There are certain individuals who are even identical to hell itself. The likes of Hitler, Jezebel and Nero are people who are remembered for being cruel. We do not have to go to these extremes, when we become selfish; we make our lives hell for people around us according to belief and reason perspective in the play. It comes to cause, that if hell is other people, more than we as well have it in us in making life much of a heaven for those nearby us. We can change environment with a simple deed of kindness. Works Cited Campbell, W. John. The Book of Great Books: A Guide to 100 World Classics. London: Sterling Pub Co Inc, 2001. Contat, Michel. The Writings of Jean Sartre: Contat, and Rybalka, M. A bibliographical life. London: Northwestern University Press, , 1974. Notes, No Exit and The Flies. No Exit and The Flies Notes. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1983. Sartre, Jean-Paul. No Exit (Huis Clos). Paris: A.A. Knopf, , 1946. Hudson Jullie. No Exit: A Play in One Act. Paris: French, 1998. Shmoop. No Exit: Shmoop Literature Guide. Paris: Shmoop University Inc, 2011. Read More