No Exit: Exposition

No Exit
By Jean Paul Sartre

PLOT SUMMARY
Three damned souls, Garcin, Inez, and Estelle are brought to the same room in hell by a mysterious
Valet. They had all expected medieval torture devices to punish them for eternity, but instead find a
plain room furnished in Second Empire style. None of them will admit the reason for their damnation:
Garcin says that he was executed for being a pacifist, while Estelle insists that a mistake has been
made.
Inez however, demands that they all stop lying to themselves and confess to their crimes. She refuses
to believe that they all ended up in the room by accident and soon realizes that they have been placed
together to make each other miserable. Garcin suggests that they try to leave each other alone, but
Inez starts to sing about an execution and Estelle wants to find a mirror. Inez tries to seduce Estelle by
offering to be her "mirror" and tell her everything she sees, but ends up frightening her instead.
After arguing they decide to confess to their crimes so they know what to expect from each other.
Garcin cheated and mistreated his wife; Inez seduced her cousin's wife while living with them; and
Estelle cheated on her husband and drowned her illegitimate baby. Despite their revelations they
continue to get on each other's nerves. Garcin finally gives in to Estelle's attempts to seduce him,
driving Inez crazy. He begs Estelle to tell him he is not a coward for attempting to flee his country
during wartime. When Inez tells him that Estelle is just agreeing with him so she can be with a man,
Garcin tries to escape. The door suddenly opens, but he is unable to leave. He says that he will not be
saved until Inez has faith in him. She refuses, promising to make him miserable forever. Forgetting that
they are all dead, Estelle unsuccessfully tries to kill Inez, stabbing her repeatedly. Shocked at the
absurdity of his fate, Garcin concludes, "hell is other people."
Exposition
- A valet leads Garcin, Inez, and Estelle inside a room in hell.
Inciting moment
- Inez seduces Estelle while Estelle seduces Garcin.
- Realization that their torture is to make each other miserable.
Rising Action
- Everyone admits their crimes for being in hell.
- Garcin demanding trust from Estelle and Inez.
Climax
- Garcin busrts in anger and tries to escape.
Falling Action
- The door suddenly opens but they all hesitate to escape.
Denoument/Resolution
- Garcin concludes that Hell is other people.
SETTING
-
A plain room in hell furnished with the style of the Second French Empire.
CHARACTERS
Valet - Escorts the damned to their rooms in Hell.

Joseph Garcin - Former journalist and man of letters who was shot by a firing squad for
desertion. Even in Hell he cannot escape his cowardice.
Inez Serrano - Former post-office clerk who committed suicide with her lesbian lover after
concluding an affair with the womans husband, after which he threw himself in front of
a tram.
Estelle Rigault - Married to a man three times her age, she fell in love with a younger man,
bore his child, and drowned the child. After her lover blew his brains out, she caught
pneumonia and died.
THEME
External Justification
This is Sartres main theme people need others to define themselves and make themselves confident.
This directly corresponds to Sartres idea of hell hell is other people. This is seen in the fact that
there are no mirrors in the room. The characters are unable to judge themselves; they must completely
depend on what others say to define themselves. Also, the push and pull triangle created by what the
characters want and what they need from each other highlights the theme hell is other people.
STYLES
Jean Sartres style is direct or clipped. Theres no beating around the bush, for Sartre or for his
characters. The majority of text is short, clipped dialogue, almost a Q and A form.
SYMBOLS
Mirror
In No Exit, Sartre rids hell of any mirrors. This forces the characters to look within themselves and the
opinions of others in order to judge themselves. Estelle, during her life, kept a mirror with her at all
times. Estelle needs the mirror to justify who she is, she needs to prove to herself that she is attractive
by the reflection of the mirror, not the judgments of others. The mirror symbolizes other people, another
set of eyes, in which to reflect each other, but not the true reflection. Estelle could never be left alone,
for how would she survive without the mirrors. She could never define herself without the help of the
mirror.

No Exit: Exposition

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No Exit: Exposition

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No Exit

By Jean Paul Sartre

Valet - Escorts the damned to their rooms in Hell.

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