No Exit and Three Other Plays in Exploring Existentialism

May 10, 2013 Momina rated it really liked it

Shelves: plays, french-lit, existentialism-absurdism

No Exit: 5 stars!

I was expecting something misleading from Sartre, as I had a glimpse into his philosophy before. (Kierkegaard is more palatable in the existential domain than him, for me.) But I was pleasantly, almost suspiciously, surprised. I hope he stays within those bounds that I can appreciate of the philosophical system and not step out, like Beckett often does. Overall, this is one devastating play: one that makes you think hard, one that makes you fear much, and one that makes you want No Exit: 5 stars!

I was expecting something misleading from Sartre, as I had a glimpse into his philosophy before. (Kierkegaard is more palatable in the existential domain than him, for me.) But I was pleasantly, almost suspiciously, surprised. I hope he stays within those bounds that I can appreciate of the philosophical system and not step out, like Beckett often does. Overall, this is one devastating play: one that makes you think hard, one that makes you fear much, and one that makes you want to read more of the playwright.

The Flies:

I can't rate this play. It was terribly difficult to read, not because of any complexity of character or thought, but because of all that this play says. Very depressing, very hard to take in, and very, very oppressive. And from all the images and symbols and metaphors, he had to pick big, black flies. Ugh!

Dirty Hands: 4 stars

Brilliantly constructed! This play raises a very important epistemological question: can we ever be certain of the truth/validity of our knowledge/beliefs? A believes in one thing, B in another. Both of them believe to be right claiming the other to be ignorant or misguided. And so A decides to kill B and B decides to kill A, on the basis of their personal truth. And if one takes a look around in the world we’re living in today, this is exactly what is happening or has been happening since ages.

Another important question this play raises: can we ever be certain of our intentions? Can we ever be certain that the impetus behind our actions is objective and not biased and prejudiced? Apart from being a political drama, this is also a psychological drama. I appreciate how carefully and artfully Sartre brought these questions up, making the reader self-question himself along with Hugo. Even though I still feel suspicious of his philosophy, I can’t deny that he was an able and brilliant dramatist. This play is executed with enough craft to prove this.

The Respectable Prostitute: 3.5 stars

Where the previous play raised epistemological questions, this play raises ethical ones. The extremely racist Southern part of the States serves as a background and so the crisis of this one is obviously a Negro-related one. I've just recently read a book on Malcolm X and so you can't blame me if I tell you that I'm thinking how he would have reacted had somebody made him read this play. :P

Well. I doubt any other school of thought has been so fertile for great literature as the school of existentialism has proven to be. Nicely done, Sartre, though I still don't like you very much. ...more

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