Hell is a Person

The idea of Heaven is a comforting thing. Humans find comfort in thinking of the “next life” and thinking of a “good place.” A place where they are free from the troubles of this world and they can leave it all behind. However, Hell is seldomly thought about; it’s a scary thought and people choose to ignore the thought of it. The thought of an eternal place of punishment is not something that individuals enjoy to reflect on. People do not like to think of the repercussions of their actions. However, in the play No Exit, three individuals are faced with the consequences of their actions. The question is: what were their actions? Did they receive the just punishment? Someone can try as they might to deceive others, but can someone truly deceive himself? 

What is self-deception? It is when an individual allows oneself to believe in something that is false to make them feel better. The characters in this play have all committed sins or wrongdoings that led them to where they are now. However, none of them are very willing to admit to what they did. Admitting to what they did means accepting their fate, and none of them want to admit their wrongdoings. 

The first character introduced is Garcin. Out of the three individuals in the room, he seems to be the most accepting of his damnation. He spends some of his time trying to get the affairs of his life in order, and adjust to the situation he is now in. However, what he most struggles with is admitting his faults during his life. Garcin was able to admit that he treated his wife horribly while he was alive, and blames that as the cause of him being in Hell. However, as time went on, he finally admitted that he tried to desert the war, and was killed by a firing squad. After admitting this, he made the claim that he was not a coward. To him, he had to make sure that Inez believed that he was not a coward also. Garcin was afraid to admit that he deserted the war because he did not want Inez to think he was cowardly, but he did not mind if she knew that he treated his wife horribly. This shows what troubled him the most. He did not mind the idea that he was a bad husband, but what he would not admit he was a coward, which led him to where he was now. The more Garcin tried to convince Inez that he was not a coward, shows that he also struggled believing himself. Inez does not believe him, and becomes his tormentor. 

The second character introduced is Inez. Inez is in Hell for seducing her cousin’s wife. Inez reveals that her lover killed the both of them. She is disgusted by Garcin and is rude to him from the very beginning. Once Estelle arrives, Inez puts her focus on her, trying to seduce her. She even offers to be Estelle’s reflection, since there are no mirrors. But Estelle turns her down. Inez accepts her fate in Hell from the beginning and thinks that Garcin is there to be her tormentor. However, Estelle seems to torment her the most. She tries to deceive herself by blaming Garcin as the reason Estelle rejects her; however, Garcin is not to blame. Estelle is not interested in women and now she will be her tormentor forever. 

The third and final character introduced is Estelle. She is the most afraid and will not accept the fact that she is in Hell. In the beginning, she will only admit to the affair she had; however, as time went on, she admitted that she became pregnant and killed her child. Estelle rejects Inez’s advances, but only wants Garcin’s attention. When Garcin is not interested, she blames Inez and tries to kill her, forgetting that they are all already dead. Garcin is her tormentor because she does not receive validation from him. 

What does mirrors have to do with the self-deception each character faces? Each character tries to deceive the other, and in a way, mostly tries to deceive themselves. Garcin, Inez, and Estelle all try to find validation in each other. Garcin wants Inez to admit he is not a coward, Inez wants Estelle to be interested in her, and Estelle wants Garcin to be interested in her. Estelle complains that there are no mirrors and Inez tries to be her reflection of her, but Estelle rejects her. Estelle does not want Inez to be her reflection, she wants to see her own reflection. She does not think that Inez sees the real her, she wants Garcin to see her. Garcin wants Inez to see him as brave, but Inez says that he is a coward. Estelle wants Garcin to be interested in her, but Garcin is only interested in getting Inez to validate him. They are trapped in an endless cycle of invalidation. 

The mirrorless room forces the dynamic to focus on each other. They are not ever able to see themselves. The only way they can grasp their own existence is to rely on the others to validate their existence. There is no one else in the room, just the three of them. They cannot look at themselves in a mirror, and they cannot sleep or rest; they forever are forced to look at each other. They cannot ignore each other. They are forever forced to watch their tormentors. 

While someone is alive, they do not think about the consequences of their actions; however, the characters in this play receive their punishment. Is it just? Each character is faced with their own self-denial. They look for validation in someone else, because they are not able to deceive themselves. However, they look for validation in the wrong person. They are never able to find what they are looking for, they are stuck in an endless cycle. What is worse, physical or mental torture? For these characters, they have no escape. They are stuck watching their tormentors, without relief, without a break. They do not get privacy, they do not get a moment to themselves. They cannot deceive themselves, they cannot receive validation from another, they are stuck in Hell, their just Hell.