No Exit

Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980 , a prominent French philosopher , writer literary critic and playwright is probably best known for development of existentialism , a philosophical trend that had a significant influence in the 20th century in large part owing to his efforts . For Sartre philosophical arguments obtained the most convincing form when presented as fiction . However , in contrast to similar literary works of many other philosophers , Sartre 's fiction refused from genres of circumlocution and allegory , but instead directly laid out many of his most complex ideas in a straightforward narrative manner . It often

happens so that Sartre`s heroes are in fact direct messengers of Sartre . Thus , although Sartre is most famous for his deep philosophical analysis in his famous non-fiction work "Being and Nothingness , his theories and arguments are properly summarized in his novels , plays and short stories . One of his most exciting plays "No Exit , came out in 1944 , only one year after "Being and Nothingness . Due to this simultaneity , most of the themes and symbolisms in the play have much in common with Sartre 's arguments presented in the larger philosophical work . Thus "No Exit " serves as a perfect tool to study the techniques of forming drama composition with purpose of conveying author`s ideas . Among techniques involved are characters` peculiarity , plot and theme , chosen type of play , venue for performance of a play and style of set . Let us take a closer look at each of those specific terms and their usage in the play

In "No Exit " these are its characters who form the backbone of the whole play . Indeed , as existentialism is concerned with the nature of human existence , responsibility , consciousness and freedom , the characters of "No Exit " serve as laboratory for exploration of human nature in its most general sense . Although protagonists of the play are in hell , a place no reader could even hope to really imagine , they are too familiar to us to avoid sometimes associating ourselves with them . Sartre`s characters of Garcin , Inez and Estelle are examples of fallible actually already fallen , human beings who are dead-locked in their evil natures and are doomed to suffer from it for eternity . There is also a mysterious Valet , a terse representative of hell , but he is too polite to be in the center of action and quickly leaves the main heroes tete-a-tete with themselves , perfectly knowing their upcoming sad fate In general , for Sartre there seems to be no unimportant details when it comes to introduction of his characters - costumes , gestures and mannerisms all contribute to the general image . For example , Estelle`s being worried about dissonance between her dress and a sofa is a symbol of her attachment to her superfluous external appearance . Impulses of Garcin to hide his face in his hands are used to hint at the defective personality as he tries in this way to hide from himself the truth about his real nature . The attacking way Inez behaves is illustrative of her aggressive manner which agrees well with the fact that...