SARTRE — No Exit

Hel is other people

Other people’s gaze can trap you into an identity you can’t control.

The gaze

Being seen and judged by others, which can reduce you to an object.

Bad faith (in the play)

Characters lie to themselves about who they are to avoid responsibility.

Garcin

Wants to be seen as brave but is defined by his cowardice.

Estelle

Wants to be admired and desirable while refusing to face her cruelty.

Inez

Sees through others but refuses to own her own cruelty.

No mirrors

They must rely on others to define them, symbolizing loss of self-control.

The door opens

They still don't leave because they are trapped by their need for others’ approval.

No exit

You cannot escape yourself, your choices, or the responsibility for who you made yourself.

Philosophical point

Hell is living in bad faith and depending on others to give you an identity.

Whole play in one sentence

No Exit shows what hell is being trappe din a room with other people who expose your lies, prevent your self deceptions, and force you to confront the reality of who you made yourself through your choices. 

Connecting to Existentialism

No Exit dramatizes existentialism by showing that hell is the state of refusing responsibility for your own freedom, depending on others to define you, and living in bad faith rather than authentic self-honesty.