Hell is other people. This is one of the most quoted sentences of
Jean-Paul Sartre, French novelist and philosopher. No Exit is one
of his short plays which ends with that sighing realisation: Hell is other
people.
Three people arrive in hell after death: Garcin, Inez and Estelle.
Garcin and Estelle pretend that they were condemned to perdition by mistake or
unjustly. Inez is honest enough to admit that she was “a damned bitch” who had
a homosexual affair with her cousin’s wife Florence. The cousin chose to kill
himself under a tram and Florence turned on the gas killing herself and Inez.
Garcin is forced to admit that he was not the hero he pretended to be.
He was a deserter in the time of war. Moreover he had been treating his wife
abominably. He reached home night after night “stinking of wine and women”.
Estelle was from a poor family and hence accepted marriage with a man
who was three times older than her but was rich. She had an affair with a young
man with whom she had a child. She threw the child into a lake. Her lover shot
himself. Now in hell Estelle is still worried about her physical appearance. Do
I look beautiful? That’s her concern. She tries to seduce Garcin, the only man
available to her in hell.
Garcin detests the women. He wants to be left alone. Estelle wants him
while Inez wants Estelle. Lust doesn’t leave you even in hell, it seems. Nor
does antipathy. After all, hell should be a meeting place of all possible
vices. The worst vice is becoming an object of the other person’s gaze. The
other person is constantly watching you. In hell, no one sleeps. It is an
eternity of surveillance. You are being watched by the other all the time. That
is hell. Garcin tries to escape from the room assigned to the three of them. He
bangs on the door and rings the calling bell. There is no answer.
“We are inseparables,” says Inez. Estelle wants to push Inez out so that
she can live with Garcin in that room in hell which has three sofas and no
other facilities. The three condemned souls realise that they have no escape
from that room. They have to live with one another. Estelle tries to kill Inez
with the paper knife lying in the room. But the dead cannot be killed, you see.
“Kiss me,” Estelle tells Garcin. She says that the kiss will be the best
revenge on Inez. As Garcin embraces the beautiful Estelle, Inez says, “What a
lovely scene: coward Garcin holding baby killer Estelle in his manly arms!” A
realisation descends on Garcin that “Hell is other people”.
All these characters are Christians for whom hell should be a place of
fire and torture. But they realise that their catechism was all wrong. Devils
and their tortures are not required to create hell. You are my hell and I am
yours. You freeze me into a label and create my hell. I am a coward or baby
killer or something like that for you. I am just a label that you give me. That
label is my hell. You give me the label. You reduce me into that label. You are
my hell.
 |
| A scene from the play: Source |
PS. This is part of a
series being written for the #BlogchatterA2Z Challenge. The previous parts are:
3. The
Castle
Tomorrow: The Old Man
and the Sea
Labelling, categorizing do create hell. They limit us. It is the starting point for prejudice.
ReplyDeleteYet most people love to do that for various reasons.
DeleteOwn deeds, own past can create a hell for one and people are free to label it to make it worst. But aren't these the same people who are living in their own hell?
ReplyDeleteHell I suppose is nothing but a place that lacks love, care, compassion and empathy.
This play stays true to the test of time! Timeless classic, I must say.
You have defined hell rightly as a place without love and compassion. Sartre was indirectly saying we have converted our earth into just that. His philosophy of objectification of human beings by the gaze of the other is also reflected in this play.
DeleteThe ambience of a place does depend on the people in it. Be it hell or heaven, they are people.
ReplyDeleteAnd people generally create hells.
DeleteA simple analysis of an important book. I look forward to reading it.
ReplyDeletewww.nooranandchawla.com
Available free pdf version online.
DeleteNo Exit, truly! People like to dwell on vices than virtues! Isn't ours becoming a living hell besides a rare virtue here and there (and then we say now-a-days we don't get to see it much)?!
ReplyDeleteTrue. Hell is already here. Virtue gives us occasional glimpses too.
DeleteThe judgements of people can turn life into a living hell. Life should read...Compassion not judgement.
ReplyDeleteThe sad bit is we often live by the judgement of others. Hence the hell.
Yeah, we create our hells.
DeleteThis book is very famous, but it sounds grim and depressing. Thanks for providing a summary of the novel.
ReplyDeleteSartre didn't think very highly of human nature and existence.
DeleteVery interesting post...
ReplyDeleteSartre was a 'hot' writer in his time.
Delete"I am just a label that you give me. That label is my hell. You give me the label. You reduce me into that label. You are my hell."...these lines are so very true indeed... That's what truly can define hell unless u decide to break lose out of this!!
ReplyDeleteBreaking out is quite a tough job, but we can. We can choose our steps.
DeleteWow! That's so profound, thought provoking and so true too. Yes, hell is other people, the labels they give... I have to read this one. Thanks for recommending No Exit!
ReplyDeleteSartre was a philosopher too.
Delete