No Exit by John-Paul Sartre

Pages 3 - 9

No chance for redemption – you are done, can’t do it again
Painful journey to self knowledge
All three main characters, Garcin, Estelle and Inez, were never truly alive when they were on Earth
Garcin arrives in Hell – he is searching for the instruments of torture – there are none
Garcin is angry because there is no toothbrush – hasn’t lost sense of human dignity – he has not realized that he is actually dead yet.
There are no windows, no mirrors, no light switches, no eyelids, no outside – stuck in this room for eternity – no instruments of torture but tortured in little ways
Garcin asks if he must “live” in this room, and the valet laughs – Garcin still can not accept that he is dead
Inez has arrived in Hell in the same room as Garcin
First thing she asks, “’Where is Florence?’” (Sartre 8). (assume they died together)
Inez believes that she is being tortured by being separated from Florence
She first believes that Garcin is the torturer – she thinks he looks frightened, which would make him a torturer
She was a torturer on Earth – she looked in the mirror and would see a frightened look.
Inez asks if Garcin could leave to take a walk to leave her alone
Garcin tells her that he can’t leave and they should just be polite – Inez says she is not polite – she is rude and tells it like it is

Pages 9 - 17

Garcin’s mouth is twitching and it is annoying Inez – she says, ‘”you’ve no right to inflict the sight of your fear on me’” (Sartre 10).
Garcin covers his mouth with his hands and Estelle freaks out when she comes in since she cannot see Garcin’s face – Estelle was expecting to see someone she hurt and thought Garcin was that someone
Estelle does not like her couch since it clashes with her outfit – she is putting on airs (being uppity, high class)
Inez thinks Estelle is pretty – jumps in front of Garcin to introduce herself to Estelle – she is a lesbian and desires Estelle
Estelle said she died of pneumonia
Inez said she died from the gas stove (fumes)
Garcin was shot 12 times in the chest
Beginning to question why the three of them are put together in Hell – they are so different
The three of them can still see what is going on in Earth (Estelle could see her funeral, Garcin could see his wife)
Estelle hints that the man with the hole in his face who is still alive was a dance teacher
Estelle wants nothing to do with Inez when she finds out that Inez was a postal worker
Inez mentions that they should all be honest about what they did to get them to Hell and then they can figure the rest out
Estelle thinks there was a mistake – she married an older man then met the man she was destined to love- he asked her to run away with him and she refused – then she died of pneumonia
She is blaming being in Hell for marrying a man she shouldn’t have married
Garcin says he ran a pacifist newspaper (non violence) – war broke out and he refused to join so they shot him
BOTH OF THEM ARE LYING!!!!

Pages 17 – 25

Inez figured it out – the three of them will torture each other “’I mean that each of us will act as torturer of the two others’” (Sartre 18).
Garcin believes the answer is to ignore each other for eternity and not speak
Estelle is trying to put on lipstick – she desperately needs a mirror
Estelle’s little pleasure was looking at herself (she had 6 mirrors in her bedroom alone) – she positioned herself so she could watch herself talk when she spoke to others – VAIN!
Inez offers to be Estelle’s looking glass – Inez’s eyes will be Estelle’s mirror (coming onto Estelle)
Estelle looks to Garcin for help – Inez is making her uncomfortable – Garcin ignores them both
Inez wants Estelle, Estelle wants Garcin, Garcin will want attention from Inez (all three want something they can’t have)
Garcin gets pissed at the girls – he was listening to Gomez (a man in his office) who was talking about Garcin
Garcin was abusive to his wife – he cheated on her every chance he got and felt no remorse. “’The truth is, she admired me too much’” (Sartre 25).
He claims to have picked her out of the gutter – he was her savior
He wants to see Gomez but he always sees his wife – he doesn’t want to see his wife – torture
Garcin wants to see if he can have one more effect on his wife – he wants her to cry over him
Garcin brought the girl home, his wife “heard” everything, and his wife brought them coffee in the morning

Pages 25 –34

Inez is a “’damned bitch’” (Sartre 26).
Inez had an affair with Florence (her cousin’s wife) – she is responsible for three deaths (her cousin, Florence, and herself)
Inez moved in with her cousin and Florence – Florence and Inez have an affair – the cousin gets run over by a tram (trolley car) – he stepped in front of the tram (couldn’t handle the fact that his cousin stole his wife)
Inez constantly told Florence that the two of them were responsible for his death – Florence couldn’t take the guilt any longer so she turned on the gas stove and crawled back into bed – the two ladies were killed by carbon monoxide fumes
Estelle was having an affair with Roger (the dancer – the love of her life) – he wanted her to have a baby and she did not want one – she became pregnant – she got pregnant – Roger was pleased by Estelle was not. “’But the baby came, worse luck’” (Sartre 28). Estelle was no longer the center of attention – she threw her baby over the balcony – Roger begged her not to do it and she dropped the kid – he looked over the balcony and “’…he saw the rings spreading on the water – ‘” (Sartre 28).
Roger killed himself because of this – Estelle thinks he did it because of her – she said he didn’t need to because her husband had no idea about the affair – VAIN!!
Inez’s apartment on Earth was rented (let) – she can see the couple about to make love on her bed – then it becomes darker – she is losing her ability to see things on Earth – this sight, the last one she will see on Earth, will bother her immensely
Peter, someone Estelle flirted with when she was alive, is dancing with Olga (her friend) – Olga told Peter the story of the baby and Estelle is upset – all goes black – she can’t see Earth anymore – this is the scene that will torture her
Garcin and Inez figure out how to not torture each other

Pages 34 –43

Inez is trying to seduce Estelle – she admits she wants Garcin and not Inez
Garcin comes onto Estelle and almost forces himself on her – Inez freaks out – she can see everything they are about to do – Inez says she will watch their every move and they will feel her eyes boring into them
Garcin keeps hearing Gomez talk about him on Earth – they were bad mouthing him at the office
Inez gets Garcin to tell them why he is in Hell – she pushes him about the 12 bullets holes – Garcin leaves – he ran – he is a deserter and was shot for it
Garcin admits his wife died 2 months before – she died of grief
Garcin is afraid they will call him a coward for years – he needs one person to love him – Estelle, will you be that one person?
Estelle laughs – Garcin is not the type of guy she would have faith in on Earth – since they are in Hell, Garcin is “good enough.”
Inez tells Garcin Estelle would say anything to make him happy
Garcin wants out – he bangs on the door – the door flies open
None of them will leave – they do not know what is out there – fear of the unknown

Pages 43 – end

Garcin stays in Hell because of Inez – Inez and Estelle are shocked – he needs admiration and for her to understand he is not a coward – Inez is also a coward – they are just like each other (Inez uses her sarcasm to cover up her cowardice)
Inez tells Garcin to stay away from Estelle if he wants her help – tug-o-war with Garcin in the middle
“’Hell is – other people!’” (Sartre 47). Garcin finally gets it – you see your own evil in other people – you see your reflection in other people
They are in for an eternity of emotional torture – they can see the other people’s flaws but they can’t see their own flaws