No Exit Literary Analysis

No Exit, by Jean Paul Sartre, Analysis Questions

Version: http://vtheatre.net/script/doc/sartre.html


GENERAL
1. The play is about three people stuck in hell, in an unconventional manner. They are simply put into a room together, and forced to be like that for all eternity. Inez, Garcin, and Estelle have individually created hell for one another. Each one with a character flaw which the others exploit. Inez is cruel and jealous, and envies Estelle's beauty. Estelle is lustful and desires only the attention of Garcin. Garcin is cowardly, and only wants the respect of Inez. At first they don't find the pain or torture in the situation. Then slowly they tell why they were sent to hell. They try to ignore one another, but eventually the inevitable happens, and they slowly start tearing each other apart. Garcin finds a way out of the room, but is stuck there in an effort to change his flaw, which will never happen. The three are trapped, forever.
2. As Sartre is famously quoted for, "Hell is other people."
3. The author has a dark tone in his writing. It grows progressively throughout the story as the hell unfolds itself and shows the terror of human company later in the story. "Estelle: Oh, leave me in peace. You haven't any eyes. Oh, damn it, isn't there anything I can do to get rid of you? I've an idea. (Spits in Garcin's face.) There! Inez: Garcin, you shall pay for this."
4. Literary devices
1. Symbolism: The room is symbolic as hell, and is treated as such. "In hell! Damned souls-- that's us, all three"
2. Dialogue: Since this is a play, dialogue reigns. The interactions between the characters makes the plot what it is. "GARCIN: To help ME. It only needs a little effort, Inez; just a spark of human feeling.
INEZ: Human feeling. That's beyond my range. I'm rotten to the core."
3. Theme: The story reveals that the true torture that we must face is the company of one another. "Hell is other people."
4. Setting: "Then it's by chance this room is furnished as we see it. It's an accident that the sofa on the right is a livid green, and that one on the left's wine-red. Mere chance? Well, just try to shift the sofas and you'll see the difference quick enough. And that statue on the mantelpiece, do you think it's there by accident? And what about the heat here? How about that? I tell you they've thought it all out. Down to the last detail. Nothing was left to chance. This room was all set for us"
5. Allegory: The whole story is an allegory, as it can be seen on different levels of understanding. The room itself is understood to stand for hell itself, and each of the characters stand for a different trait. The whole situation also signifies how humans torture one another.
6. Metaphor: "Of course, I used to spend my nights in the newspaper office, and it was a regular Black Hole, so we never kept our coats on."
7. Mood: The mood in the story drastically shifts from a light one, to an incredibly tense, hateful mood as they delve into each others faults.
8. Foreshadowing: The story from the beginning gives slight indications of what the room is going to be all about.  "GARCIN: Quite so. But I say, where are the instruments of torture?
VALET: The what?
GARCIN: The racks and red-hot pincers and all the other paraphernalia?"
9. Conflict: The three main characters create conflict for one another. "ESTELLE: Kiss me, darling---then you'll hear her squeal.
GARCIN: That's true, Inez. I'm at your mercy, but you're at mine as well.
INEZ: Oh, you coward, you weakling, running to women to console you!"
10. Diction: The diction is fairly straightforward, switching slightly from character to character slightly, as explained in part two of the analysis. "ESTELLE: You looked so--so far away. Sorry I disturbed you.
GARCIN: I was setting my life in order. You may laugh but you'd do better to follow my example.
INEZ: No need. My life's in perfect order. It tidied itself up nicely of its own accord. So I needn't bother about it now."

CHARACTERIZATION
1.Direct Characterization:
  "I'm Joseph Garcin, journalist and man of letters by profession."
 "You're lucky. I'm always conscious of myself-- in my mind. Painfully conscious."
Indirect Characterization:
"But really! Everything here's so hideous; all in angles, so uncomfortable. I always loathed angles"
" So it's you whom I have to convince; you are of my kind. Did you suppose I meant to go? No, I couldn't leave you here, gloating over my defeat, with all those thoughts about me running in your head."
 The author uses direct characterization to explain the basics of the characters backgrounds, and how each views the other, and indirect characterization to show their fatal flaws.

2. Yes, the author's diction changes from character to character. Inez has a very strict tone, with lots of harsh words. "If you could see his big paw splayed out on your back, rucking up your skin and creasing the silk." Estelle tries to act innocent, and often apologizes, or asks for others attention. "You looked so--so far away. Sorry I disturbed you". Lastly Garcin progressively grows weary about himself, and asks questions. " What do you want of me?"
3.The three protagonists are all flat characters. They do not change in the story, just the way that the audience views each one of them.
4. No, I did not feel as if I had met a particular person, as the play was fairly short, and the inner thoughts of the characters were not put on display for the audience.