Summary
Sartre published the play No Exit in
1944, just as World War II was reaching its end. The play details
the interactions of three people, Garcin, Inez, and Estelle, who
are confined within a room in hell. The drama essentially serves
as a backdrop for an exploration of Sartre’s philosophical themes,
notably the objectifying gaze of the other, self-deception, bad
faith, and issues surrounding human freedom and responsibility.
The play begins with Garcin’s arrival in hell, which appears
to be a drawing room. A valet shows Garcin around, pointing out
a bell that Garcin can use to summon the valet if needed. The valet
warns, however, that the bell does not always work. A woman named
Inez soon arrives, and she thinks Garcin is a torturer. She says
his mouth is grotesque. The valet eventually brings in another woman,
Estelle, and says no one else will arrive. Estelle insults the appearance
of the room.
Garcin, Inez, and Estelle discuss how and when they died,
but they initially refuse to confess their crimes. They hint at
what they did by describing the moral principles behind their actions
but not revealing the actions themselves.
The three eventually realize that although there are no
physical torments and no actual torturer in hell, they have been
put together to torment each other. There are no mirrors in the
room, so each of them is seen only by the other two, not by him-
or herself. They can neither avoid one another’s gaze nor escape
one another’s judgment. They begin to tell the truths about themselves
and what they did to be sent to hell: Garcin was executed by the
army because he tried to leave the country without fighting, Inez
was killed by a widow she taunted about the woman’s husband’s death,
and Estelle threw her baby off a balcony.
The dynamics of the group become complex as each begin
asking things of the others. Inez makes a sexual advance toward
Estelle, who refuses her. Estelle expresses her desire to be with
Garcin, and Garcin reciprocates. However, he stops short of kissing
her and says he wants her trust. He asks Estelle if he was a coward
for running from the army and expresses doubt about the rightness
of his actions. He asks Estelle to have faith in him. Estelle says
he loves him, and Garcin says they will climb out of hell. Inez
warns Garcin that Estelle is lying. Garcin dismisses both women
in disgust.
Garcin then approaches the door, searching for an escape.
He rings the bell to summon the valet, but it doesn’t work. As he
continues pounding on the door, Estelle begs him not to leave and
says she’ll go with him.
