When a baby is born in the world, although it seems individuality, it has made a relationship with other people at the same time. For a newborn baby, the closest relationship with it is its parent. As a result, we cannot deny one live in the world is not only an individuality but also a part in the society. Between the interaction with other people, there would causes a good or bad result. Take holding a council for example, we cannot ensure that every council would make some decisions, because during the meeting, sometimes we would agree with ideas smoothly but sometimes we would not. Therefore, the moment when we have to express our tendency, it is also the minute for us to make a decision that we are going to “being for itself” or “being for others.” This is one main theme of existentialism and the topic in No Exit Sartre wants people to deliberate.
A famous sentence in No Exit is “Hell is – other people!” (No Exit 45). At first, most people misunderstand what Sartre really wants to represent, and explain this sentence from the surface. Then people misapprehend Sartre is a pessimist who does not believe others. Consequently, when No Exit was recorded to make a phonograph disk in 1965, Sartre also recorded an introduction to expound this famous sentence. What he wants to convey to people is: if one messes up one’s relationship with others, then others will be the hell. He said there are some people who really live in the hell, because they rely on others’ judgments too much. Those who always depend on other people to give them advice are very dangerous, because they will not know how to live when those other people whom they lean on before disappear or go away. They are the typical human beings who are “being for others,” and also the people who Sartre considers live in the hell. The character Garcin in No Exit is a good example, he says: “So it’s you whom I have to convince; … No, I couldn’t leave you here …” (42). Garcin says he couldn’t leave that secret chamber unless he convinces Inze that he is not a coward, although he can leave there when the door was opened. He depends on other people and let other people decide his value in the drama, as he says: “… I’m not there to defend myself. Estelle, you must give me your trust.” (36). He always wants to know what his impression in other people’s mind is, he is always afraid of whispering behind himself, this make he cannot get along with others harmoniously. Therefore, he says: “Hell is – other people!” (45).
Sartre’s another important idea of existentialism is about the “choice,” he considers that choices are constituted the life. Because one can use his/her will to choose the way he/she wants to go no matter the way person chooses will result in good or bad, this makes every one are different with others. On the other hand, if one always abandons this right to make a decision or one is being affected very easily, he/she will lose his/her own conscious and becomes a non-conscious being at the same time. Non-conscious being is equal to “being in itself,” the natural things such as trees or flowers, they are on behalf of “being in itself.” Because they are just being there, without their own consciousness, they will not consider why they are there? Also, they will not change their body when people praise or disdain them. Except for Garcin in No Exit, Estelle is also another character who is just “being for others.” She says: “… When I talked to people I always made sure there was one near by in which I could see myself. …” (19). And another sentence she says: “A pimple? Oh, how simply foul! Where! ” (21). In spite of the mirror can reflect her outside, then she can titivate herself through the mirror, Estelle’s mind is lack of the self-consciousness. When Estelle entered the chamber and Inez asked her what she has done, she says quickly: “That’s just it. I haven’t a notion. …” (15). Crossed some times, Garcin asked her again, she still says: “I tell you I haven’t a notion. They wouldn’t tell me why.” (23). Estelle always don’t use her brain to think things deeply, she deems that everything is not an issue except for what her looks in men’s eyes. However, she doesn’t know the moment while she is looked by men, the moment she is becoming an “object” which is a non-conscious being.
Another character, Inez is the third important role in the drama. Although she knows herself as what she says: “You’re lucky. I’m always conscious of myself – in my mind. …” (19). Even she is the one who understands their situation first. We may consider that Inez is the only one character who represents Sartre’s idea “being for itself.” Because she shows her self-confidence and even expresses her omniscience to us, she realizes what Garcin and Estelle are afraid of. However, she does not escape from “being for others,” too. For Inez, Estelle is one who she cares about in the hell, as Florence she concerned in the world.
In fact, three major roles in No Exit are not only “being for others” but also “being for itself.” Each of them wants to convince each other and demands others to agree with the impression which he/she dreams of. However, each of them just wants to ask others to match up himself/herself, but they do not try to change themselves. In the situation about there is no one wants to change oneself, the relationship between them will not be changed, too. As a result, all of them will be just like what Garcin says: “We’re chasing after each other, round and round in a vicious circle, like the horses on a roundabout.” (30), and be in this status forever, and ever, and ever. (46). Through this drama, Sartre created three characters who have died already but still live in the hell to warn the people who are still alive in the world that one will be a huosiren if one doesn’t change himself/herself but always requests other to adapt him/her. Moreover, it is hard to avoid that one will be in the hell this environment (the hell’s definition here is based on Sartre’s explanation), but we have the will, we can use that will to break the hell around us. For example, Miss Wang and Miss Lin have the confliction between each other; therefore, they are in the hell which is built in the real world. As long as one of them uses her will to break the terrible relationship between them at this time, both of them would be saved form the hell. However, one cannot only change without self-consciousness, or one will reduce to “being in itself” – an “object.” Consequently, how to balance our self-consciousness to “being for itself” or “being for others” is a significant lesson for us to learn in the society.
A famous sentence in No Exit is “Hell is – other people!” (No Exit 45). At first, most people misunderstand what Sartre really wants to represent, and explain this sentence from the surface. Then people misapprehend Sartre is a pessimist who does not believe others. Consequently, when No Exit was recorded to make a phonograph disk in 1965, Sartre also recorded an introduction to expound this famous sentence. What he wants to convey to people is: if one messes up one’s relationship with others, then others will be the hell. He said there are some people who really live in the hell, because they rely on others’ judgments too much. Those who always depend on other people to give them advice are very dangerous, because they will not know how to live when those other people whom they lean on before disappear or go away. They are the typical human beings who are “being for others,” and also the people who Sartre considers live in the hell. The character Garcin in No Exit is a good example, he says: “So it’s you whom I have to convince; … No, I couldn’t leave you here …” (42). Garcin says he couldn’t leave that secret chamber unless he convinces Inze that he is not a coward, although he can leave there when the door was opened. He depends on other people and let other people decide his value in the drama, as he says: “… I’m not there to defend myself. Estelle, you must give me your trust.” (36). He always wants to know what his impression in other people’s mind is, he is always afraid of whispering behind himself, this make he cannot get along with others harmoniously. Therefore, he says: “Hell is – other people!” (45).
Sartre’s another important idea of existentialism is about the “choice,” he considers that choices are constituted the life. Because one can use his/her will to choose the way he/she wants to go no matter the way person chooses will result in good or bad, this makes every one are different with others. On the other hand, if one always abandons this right to make a decision or one is being affected very easily, he/she will lose his/her own conscious and becomes a non-conscious being at the same time. Non-conscious being is equal to “being in itself,” the natural things such as trees or flowers, they are on behalf of “being in itself.” Because they are just being there, without their own consciousness, they will not consider why they are there? Also, they will not change their body when people praise or disdain them. Except for Garcin in No Exit, Estelle is also another character who is just “being for others.” She says: “… When I talked to people I always made sure there was one near by in which I could see myself. …” (19). And another sentence she says: “A pimple? Oh, how simply foul! Where! ” (21). In spite of the mirror can reflect her outside, then she can titivate herself through the mirror, Estelle’s mind is lack of the self-consciousness. When Estelle entered the chamber and Inez asked her what she has done, she says quickly: “That’s just it. I haven’t a notion. …” (15). Crossed some times, Garcin asked her again, she still says: “I tell you I haven’t a notion. They wouldn’t tell me why.” (23). Estelle always don’t use her brain to think things deeply, she deems that everything is not an issue except for what her looks in men’s eyes. However, she doesn’t know the moment while she is looked by men, the moment she is becoming an “object” which is a non-conscious being.
Another character, Inez is the third important role in the drama. Although she knows herself as what she says: “You’re lucky. I’m always conscious of myself – in my mind. …” (19). Even she is the one who understands their situation first. We may consider that Inez is the only one character who represents Sartre’s idea “being for itself.” Because she shows her self-confidence and even expresses her omniscience to us, she realizes what Garcin and Estelle are afraid of. However, she does not escape from “being for others,” too. For Inez, Estelle is one who she cares about in the hell, as Florence she concerned in the world.
In fact, three major roles in No Exit are not only “being for others” but also “being for itself.” Each of them wants to convince each other and demands others to agree with the impression which he/she dreams of. However, each of them just wants to ask others to match up himself/herself, but they do not try to change themselves. In the situation about there is no one wants to change oneself, the relationship between them will not be changed, too. As a result, all of them will be just like what Garcin says: “We’re chasing after each other, round and round in a vicious circle, like the horses on a roundabout.” (30), and be in this status forever, and ever, and ever. (46). Through this drama, Sartre created three characters who have died already but still live in the hell to warn the people who are still alive in the world that one will be a huosiren if one doesn’t change himself/herself but always requests other to adapt him/her. Moreover, it is hard to avoid that one will be in the hell this environment (the hell’s definition here is based on Sartre’s explanation), but we have the will, we can use that will to break the hell around us. For example, Miss Wang and Miss Lin have the confliction between each other; therefore, they are in the hell which is built in the real world. As long as one of them uses her will to break the terrible relationship between them at this time, both of them would be saved form the hell. However, one cannot only change without self-consciousness, or one will reduce to “being in itself” – an “object.” Consequently, how to balance our self-consciousness to “being for itself” or “being for others” is a significant lesson for us to learn in the society.
Work cited:
1. Sartre, Jean-Paul. No Exit. Trans. S. Gilbert. New York: Vintage Books, 1999.
References:
1. Sartre, Jean-Paul. No Exit. Trans. S. Gilbert. New York: Vintage Books, 1999.
References:
1. Sartre, Jean-Paul. Being and Nothingness. Trans. Hazel E. Barnes. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992.
2. 沙特著。存在與虛無。翻譯：陳宣良等。台北市：桂冠，1944。
3. 趙雅博著。認識沙特。台北市：台灣商務印書館，民國八十一年。
4. 楊昌龍著。存在主義的藝術人學─論文學家薩特。西北大學出版社，1998。
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