Going to hell to meet oneself

Going to hell to meet oneself

For most readers, the idea of hell is likely in unison with Dante’s depiction of the seventh circle of hell in his epic poem the inferno. Where the rivers flow with boiling blood and fire, and ghastly beasts act as torturers to those who have committed sin. However, a rather contrary conjecture of hell is proposed by the renowned existential philosopher and playwright Jean-Paul Satre. In the play no exit, Satre portrays a version of hell that is rather mundane. No demonic beasts. No burning pit of cadavers. No eternal darkness. Just three damned people in a tastefully furnished room. At first, this version of hell seems quite lenient, but as Garcin reveals “There’s no need for red-hot pokers. Hell is other people.”. In this short essay, I will delve into Satre’s portrayal of hell in the form of an unlikely torturer: ourselves.

In No Exit, aside from the odd paperknife attempted suicide, torture is not present in the form of physical pain, but rather in the form of psychological suffering. The premise of Satre’s depiction of hell is based on our disposition to, as humans, greatly concern ourselves with the opinions and perceptions that people have about us. The three characters in No Exit, Estelle, Garcin, and Inez, are each plagued with forms of psychological torture as a result of the presence of each other and recurrent visions of living people. The forms of psychological torture I will highlight are the desire to be desirable and gain approval.

A common trait between the three characters is a need for some kind of approval. However, it is justifiable to suggest that Garcin is tormented most by a need for approval. Garcin resides in a state of perpetual insecurity as a result of having acted cowardly for much of his life. Initially, Garcin attempts to remain in bad faith, repeatedly making excuses for his inability to face adversity in his life. On page 16, he claims that upon encountering the military “everyone was watching me, wondering: “Will he dare?” Well, I dared. I folded my arms and they shot me.” However, his insecurities are discernable through his constant asking for approval, asking “Had I done anything wrong?”,  “Well, why don’t you speak?, and “Well, Estelle am I a coward?”. This facade begins to unravel when he admits that he was caught trying to take a train to Mexico. Nonetheless, he yearns to convince others, and perhaps most importantly himself, that he is indeed not a coward. To do so he requires the validation of other people, which can only be provided from Estelle and Inez or his co-workers that appear through his visions. Unfortunately for Garcin, the visions revealed to him that his co-workers are thinking of him as a coward. Moreover, he is haunted by the judgemental gaze of Inez who says “I’m watching you, everybody’s watching, I’m a crowd all by myself”. By merely looking at him, Inez exposes Garcin’s deepest insecurity. His hell will be an eternity of being considered a coward. This appears to perniciously degrade his spirit to the extent that he begins to sob and complain “I’m locked out; they’re passing judgement on my life without troubling about me, and they’re right, because I’m dead.”. In Sartre’s hell, these visions will endlessly play in one's head, reminding you of your most shameful qualities.

Another form of torture in Sartre’s hell is a desire for the unattainable. Unlike Garcin, Estelle craves the attention of others. The character who was most disturbed by the lack of mirrors, Estelle is greatly concerned with her appearance. Her obsession with superficial beauty may be to simply seduce men. Yet, after deeper analysis, it is revealed that her obsession is established elsewhere: in the desire to be the object of praise and yearning. During her life on earth, actively pursued being worshipped. The feminist writer Betty Friedan once wrote “It is easier to live through someone else than to complete yourself. The freedom to lead and plan your own life is frightening if you have never faced it before. It is frightening when a woman finally realizes that there is no answer to the question 'who am I' except the voice inside herself.”. Estelle is the epitome of living vicariously through the opinions of others. She struggles to empower herself by reflecting on her own purpose, as an existentialist like Satre does, thus deciding to define herself through the perception she is able to build of herself in others. In Estelle’s hell, she is unable to impress the only person who is able to give her meaning, the man, Garcin. After some initial interest, Garcin reveals he cares little for Estelle. In fact, he admits that the only reason he is not leaving the room is for Inez not for Estelle. Ultimately, it is this inability to attain meaning through Garcin that she so desperately desires that will be her eternal torture.

To amplify the psychological torment Sartre includes several interesting elements of the setting. For example, they are unable to perform basic physiological functions like sleeping, crying, or blinking. The Valet may claim this is because it is physically unnecessary, but the true reason for this lies in the psychological torture. Garcin notices the lack of blinking and comments on how blinking provides a restful and refreshing break. Without the ability to blink or sleep, one is required to constantly face their psychological torture. What’s more, the lack of sleep or blinking leaves Garcin under the perpetual gaze of Inez who constantly lays judgement on his cowardly actions. Another notable element of Sartre’s hell is the visions. These visions seem to appear whenever the people on earth are thinking of them. For Estelle and Garcin this proves to be especially unsettling, as they are reminded of the source of their torture and their inability to ever influence the living. Evidently, these visions are placed almost strategically to best agitate those in hell.

I am sure you’ve felt it before. The stares of others on a train. The loneliness of eating a meal alone in public. The desperate urge to hide a blemish. These are forms of the torture of Sartre’s Hell that the three characters in No Exit will never escape. For Garcin, his legacy as a coward, for Estelle, the lack of attention from others. I am curious to hear what you think. Which is worse: the psychological torture of Sartre’s hell or the physical torture of Dante’s hell?

P.S. Unfortunately, due to lack of time (really just poor time management) I was unable to express all of my ideas regarding the forms of psychological torture. Especially in regards to Inez. If there is great demand (one comment) I don’t mind elaborating on my ideas on another blog post.