No Exit Sparknotes

“I’m at your mercy, but you’re at mine as well,” ( ) Garcin says as he realizes the power he has over his torturer. Published in 1943, No Exit is a play written by Jean-Paul Sarte in which a man named Garcin and two women named Inez and Estelle are forced to endure the torture of spending an eternity with each other in a small drawing room in hell. The story is written in the third person objective point of view and set in the characters’ new residence in the afterlife. Each character starts out with a unique outlook on the situation. As the story progresses, tension arises between the characters and they each reveal the reason they have ended up in hell. Once the truth is out, the characters realize that they have been brought together to torture each other. They attempt to avoid hostility, but soon, resentment arises and the characters begin to torment each other. The story ends when …show more content…
In his life, Garcin was killed for not standing up for what he believes. Garcin thinks he is a coward and fears he will never be able to prove his courage. Estelle is a beautiful young woman who deeply desires attention from men. Inez is a cold, manipulative woman. Garcin goes into hell optimistically, thinking that he can save himself, or at least hoping to make the best of his situation. Spending time with his antagonists makes him realize that he cannot overcome his circumstances. As tensions rise between the characters, Garcin betrays the two women and is betrayed by them. Garcin’s only desire becomes proving to Inez that he is not a coward. Inez will not satisfy Garcin’s need to prove himself. Garcin retaliates by showing affection to Estelle. He cannot be with Estelle because Inez reminds him that she is always watching. Garcin betrays Estelle by refusing to take notice of her. Garcin denys Estelle the only thing she wants, which is him. Estelle continues to pester Garcin and blames Inez for his lack of interest in