Hell Is Other People
Jean-Paul Sartre’s play No Exit was written in 1943 in Paris during the invasion of the Nazi’s. This play is known for being the portrayal of what life in Paris was like during the reign and how the Parisians were living. Many readers associate Sartre to be similar to all the characters, however especially Inez because she seems to represent freedom and that is what Sartre desires when writing the play. Each character undergoes conflict with the characters around them and how they also affect each character’s inner conflict.
One recurring theme in No Exit was cowardice, as this was the main character Garcin’s hell. As the character on Earth had the constant fear that the people around him would think he is a coward. However, even though Garcin is now in hell he still has that fear that the other two characters in the room with him, will also think that he is a coward. This shows that Garcin’s hell can only be caused by other people because it brings him social anxiety and to have a constant need for needing to please other people. Also, Garcin was referring back to life on Earth that, “they won’t forget me, not they! They’ll die, but others will come after them to carry on the legend. I’ve left my fate in their hands”. As this shows that Garcin is creating his own living hell wondering about how people think of him on Earth even though he had left that life behind him.
Inez is a man-hating lesbian who loves to torture people for her own pleasure. However, in No Exit, Inez’s hell is that the woman she wants (Estelle) wants a strong man and not a woman. When Estelle began to fool around with Garcin Inez said “Don’t forget I’m here I’m watching. I shan’t take my eyes off of you Garcin when you are kissing here you will feel them boring into you”. As seeing the woman she wanted with a man was her own hell, she tried to make herself feel better by trying to torture the other characters. In saying that Inez will watch them kissing makes the other character’s uncomfortable which gives satisfaction to Inez. Also, since the play was based off of what Paris felt like under the Nazi rule, this line could be the fact that Sartre felt as if he was always being watched, even in private situations.
Estelle’s hell is that she is not able to get the satisfaction of a man and that she is not able to see the way that she looks because she has no mirror. From an existential point of view, Estelle retreats into Bad faith because she is in denial in the fact that she is in hell and she cannot continue her own earthly social life. At the beginning of the play Estelle cries “Please, please don’t use that word (The dead). It’s so--so crude. In terribly bad taste, really. It does not mean much, anyhow. Somehow i feel we’ve never been so much alive as now. If we’ve absolutely got to mention this -- this state of things, I suggest we call ourselves-- wait! -- absentees.” When, Garcin and Inez keep telling Estelle that she is indeed in Hell, however, this makes her more irritated that other people are telling her what is happening. Also, when Estelle falls for Garcin and Garcin rejects her, it brings her self esteem to a low because that the only man left for her rejects her which does not bring her satisfaction. Not only the rejection, but also the fact that Estelle cannot see herself and has to trust another person (Inez) to make sure her appearance is presentable makes her unwary as well. This is because Estelle does not trust Inez’s taste and now Estelle has to trust Inez to make sure Estelle is somewhat presentable.
In conclusion, Garcin’s hell is the fear of other people thinking he is a coward and that constant anxiety of people pleasing. Inez’s hell is that she wants a woman but the only woman available does not want her. Finally, Estelle’s hell is that she wants a man but Garcin does not want her and that fear of not being able to see what she looks like because she wants to look presentable. As all of these forms of mental hell’s all rely on other people and how other people react. This supports Sartre’s “Hell is Other People” because they cause the anger, and frustration in these characters minds and their constant uneasiness that goes in a loop.
