Sartre\'s No Exit Huis Clos:

Sartre's No Exit

Huis Clos:

Sartre's Play on a Different Type of Hell with "No Exit"

There are few writers who are as expressive and as shock-provoking as Sartre when it comes to examining the questions of life and death. However, this writer's ability to transcend various human-held notions on these subjects provokes a kind of positive shock, leading to a nascent, sometimes latent, perception of different ways in which to think. Sartre is morose, and often difficult to understand. His mood penetrates all his writing, without a doubt, yet in the depression that sometimes sets in as one reads one of this author's works there is a hope, a newness, something inexplicable that forces the reader to go on, to explore, and finally to find an answer, even if this answer is not that which is expected and even if the answer is 'wrong' in one's perception.

The play "Huis Clos," or "No Exit" in English, is no exception to this general rule of 'Sartreian' writing. It begins by setting an atmosphere of uncertainty and distress, yet soon evolves into a question about not just life and death, but also morality and ethics and how these play out in various situations. This play, again, transcends the meaningless timeframes of human life and posits a human environment beyond death, making the piece a vital study of information needed to educate oneself about all the ideas of existentialism and introspection, at the end of which the reader is as dumbfounded as he is pleased with the new ideas presented.

Synopsis

"No Exit" begins with one of the characters, Garcin, entering a room, accompanied by a Valet. Garcin asks the valet general questions, such as where the bed and the bathroom is, and why there are no windows. Upon reading, one almost assumes that Garcin is in a strange hotel, or even a prison. Another interesting facet of the beginning is the fact that the door 'opens' to the play, yet this gesture actually signifies the state of being 'stuck' for the scenes to come. After establishing that there is 'no exit' and after obtaining a vague answer to all his questions, the Valet leave Garcin, who then begins to 'settle in.' Soon after this first introduction, the play's cast expands when two more characters, Inez and Estelle come in, though separately.

These three characters, then, are the main cast of the play, and they serve various roles. The role of Inez in particular is very important, as she serves as the voice of reason in the play. It is also Inez who establishes that the three room companions are, in fact, in Hell for eternity. This explains why all three characters ask about torture upon their arrival in the room, to which the Valet only shrugs. It is later found out that 'l'enfer c'est les autres,' meaning that 'Hell is others [people].' Nonetheless, the three damned souls share this room, decorated in a French Empire style, and at first, aim to absolve themselves of any fault in having arrived to this point, with Estelle even insisting that a mistake has been made.

Inez succeeds about halfway through the discussion to obtain confessions, including her own, of wrongdoings and thus realizes that the three individuals have been placed together not by mistake, but to make each other miserable. Through the 'confessions,' it is also found out that each of the characters is guilty of a heinous crime. Garcin is a cheater and a coward, Estelle is a cheater and a murderer, and Inez is a liar and murderer. Despite this newly found information, the three continue to argue, and cannot find peace, which is precisely the point of Sartre's perception of Hell. Short-lived relationships form between Inez and Estelle, Estelle and Garcin, and finally Garcin and Inez, in which the various characters all seek to find some sort of source of absolution, with no success. Eventually, they resign to their fate and end the play with laughter.

Themes

There are various themes to be analyzed in this play, and some hold vital importance to Sartre's ideals, while others are products of the author's time. Clearly, the play is a mirror-image of that time's impression of existentialism, and this is why it focuses upon both oneself and the other, as well as issues surrounding human existence, such as morality and responsibility. However, the other themes in the play that are a product of the time are also important. These include the fact that women could not have affairs without consequences, as divorce was frowned upon. This statement alone begs the questions of religion quite forwardly. Furthermore, the fact that Garcin is a coward who is executed for leaving the War (World War Two) is also important, as that would have been a common occurrence at the time and also deals with the question of responsibility. These themes, whether existential or otherwise, are very important facets that can be seen throughout this and other plays by the author.

Conclusions

The last section of this paper will aim to give a clear analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the play, as well as include concluding thoughts. The strength of this play is, again, its ability to evoke various emotions, as well as quell them and, finally, its ability to lead the reader towards a path of different thinking. Sartre's though process of introducing a familiar subject in an unfamiliar way is a great way of grabbing the reader or the listener's attention, and this is one of the most impressive strengths of this play. Yet its subject, and the intricacies therein are also fantastic. The few quotations that express these thoughts, one of which has been rendered above, also include:

"ESTELLE: And you, Mr. Garcin?

GARCIN: Twelve bullets through my chest. [ESTELLE makes a horrified gesture.] Sorry! I fear I'm not goo dcompany among the dead.

ESTELLE: Please, please don't use that word. it's so -- so crude. In terribly bad taste, really. It doesn't mean much, anyhow […] I suggest we call ourselves -- wait! -- absentees…"

"INEZ: Yes, we are criminals -- murderers -- all three of us. We're in hell, my pets' they never make mistakes, and people aren't damned for nothing.

ESTELLE: Stop! For heaven's sake

INEZ: In hell! Damned souls -- that's us, all three!

ESTELLE: Keep quiet! I forbid you to use such disgusting words.