for the others. By placing hell in such a familiar environment, Sartre implies that hell is an internal state, magnified by the presence of others.

Symbolic Props and Character Insights

The sparse furniture and objects in the room carry significant symbolic weight. The three sofas—each a different color—serve more than just a practical purpose. Estelle’s choice of the blue sofa to match her dress highlights her superficiality, a trait that contributes to her eternal torment. The presence of a paper knife, though ultimately useless, symbolizes the futility of their situation when Estelle tries and fails to harm Inez with it, reinforcing her realization of being inescapably dead. The heavy bronze statue becomes an emblem of Garcin's doomed attempts to escape, signifying the permanence of their predicament. Meanwhile, Garcin's preoccupation with the bell, which symbolizes a tenuous connection to the outside world, underscores his lingering hope for escape, despite being repeatedly thwarted.

Visions of the Living World

Each character experiences visions of life outside their current confinement, serving as their last tether to the world of the living. These visions are not visible to the audience but play a crucial role in the characters' psychological dynamics. Garcin’s visions consist of his past life, including his newsroom colleagues deriding him as a coward and his mistreated wife's presence outside a prison, reflecting his unresolved guilt and need for validation. Estelle's visions are tied to Olga, her friend, who unveils Estelle's past misdeeds to Peter, a young admirer, leaving Estelle exposed and vulnerable. In contrast, Inez's visions revisit the room where she died with Florence, highlighting her isolation as no one living mourns her. These visions serve to underscore the characters' inner turmoil and unresolved issues.

The Unyielding Structure of Classical Drama

Sartre deftly employs the classical French drama's three unities—action, time, and place—to enhance the play’s intensity. No Exit adheres to a singular course of action, maintaining a relentless focus on the characters' interactions within the drawing room. The entire narrative unfolds in real-time, matching the actual duration of the performance, which encapsulates the characters' eternal entrapment. By confining the action to one location, Sartre ensures a concentrated exploration of existential themes, allowing for no distractions or deviations from the core purpose of the narrative.

Through these elements, No Exit becomes more than a play; it is a mirror reflecting the psychological and philosophical struggles of its characters, as well as a broader commentary on the human condition. The setting, props, and adherence to dramatic unities all coalesce to reveal Sartre’s vision of hell as an inescapable state of being, intricately tied to the presence and perceptions of others.

1944: In Nazi-occupied France, German censors must approve any play before it can be performed.

Today: A controversial rating system has been implemented for television programs in the United States. These ratings are mainly intended to inform parents about content that may be unsuitable for children.

1944: Numerous plays and films focus on World War II and its societal impacts, either directly or indirectly.

Today: World War II remains a popular subject in television, cinema, and literature. One of the biggest box office hits in the United States in 1998 is Saving Private Ryan, which depicts the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France.

1944: The philosophy of existentialism emerges in France, a country ravaged by two world wars, as a means of grappling with concepts of good and evil, personal responsibility, and the nature of existence.

Today: Existentialism still influences literature and the arts, primarily through its adoption by more recent movements, such as the Beats, who emphasize individual responsibility.

As the curtain rises, the scene is set in a seemingly ordinary room, where a man named Garcin is escorted by a valet. At first glance, this space could easily be mistaken for a hotel suite or a guest room within a countryside mansion. The room is decorated in the French Second Empire style, a lavish blend of various historical aesthetics that give the impression of timelessness. Within this setting are three sofas, each upholstered in different hues—one a deep claret red, another a vivid green, and the last in a more subdued color. Garcin, the new inhabitant, also observes a bronze statuette by Ferdinand Barbedienne, famous for his replicas of renowned originals, which adds to the room's aura of inauthenticity.

Garcin further notes the absence of mirrors and is intrigued by the presence of a lone letter opener, questioning its use. The valet, who soon departs, hints that its purpose will become clear and informs Garcin that once he leaves, the door will lock, and the bell meant for summoning assistance is notoriously unreliable.

The room's oppressive atmosphere intensifies with the arrival of two women, similarly ushered in by the valet. As the three individuals interact, their conversations reveal personal conflicts and grudges. Through these exchanges, it becomes starkly apparent that they are trapped in Hell, condemned to spend eternity together. Despite their desperate attempts to escape, banging on the door and considering the use of the letter opener for suicide, they are faced with the futility of these actions since they are already deceased. Their suffering is perpetual, as they become tormentors of one another’s psyches. In this confined space, their existence becomes an endless cycle of emotional and psychological torture.

This room in Hell serves as a powerful metaphor for Jean-Paul Sartre's existential philosophy. Sartre suggests that external conditions hold no sway over individual lives; instead, people are solely accountable for their own fate, unable to shirk this pivotal responsibility. Through this setting, the narrative explores the concept that the true nature of Hell is not fire and brimstone but the inescapable company of others and the relentless confrontation of one's own choices and actions.

No Exit was adapted into a French film titled Huis Clos in 1954. The cast featured Arletty, Nicole Courcel, Louis De Furies, and Jean Debucourt.

In 1962, the play was once more transformed into a film, this time starring Rita Gam as Estelle and Viveca Lindfors as Inez.

SOURCES

Gibb, Wolcott. "Dream Boy," The New Yorker, December 7, 1946, pp. 61-64.

Guicharnaud, Jacques. "Man and His Acts," in Sartre: A Collection of Critical Essays, Prentice-Hall, 1962, pp. 62-72.

Krutch, Joseph Wood. A review of No Exit in The Nation, December 14, 1946, p. 708.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. No Exit in No Exit and Three Other Plays, Vintage, 1976, pp. 1-47.

"Three in a Room," Newsweek, December 9, 1946, p. 92.

FURTHER READING

Barnes, Hazel E. Sartre, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1973.
This critical overview explores Sartre's life and body of work.

Champignay, Robert. Sartre and Drama, Summa Publications, 1982.
A thorough analysis of Sartre's contributions to theater, including No Exit.

Cohn, Ruby. "No Exit (Huis Clos)," in From "Desire" to "Godot": Pocket Theater of Postwar Paris, University of California Press, 1987, pp. 36-51.
This book offers background on various plays and their productions. The essay on No Exit provides insight into its writing, casting, and critical reception.

Contat, Michel, and Michel Rybalka, editors. Sartre on Theatre, Pantheon Books, 1976.
A compilation of documents penned by Sartre about theater, including his own plays.