No Exit Literary Criticism

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January 31, 2022
No Exit Literary Criticism
Understanding the relationship between literary characters and their particular circumstances is essential for any reader. It allows him to have a better understanding and appreciation of the actions of the character. In line with this, one of the paradigms that can be used to understand the various underpinnings of the literary piece No Exit is the psychoanalytic theory. The psychoanalytic theory originated from the works of Sigmund Freud in the late 19th Century and focused on the effect of various aspects of the individual personality in determining the actions of individuals. Although there have been various developments in psychoanalysis, this determination remains more or less similar to the Freudian paradigm CITATION Ker08 \l 1033 (Kernberg). Thus, I would use this paradigm to analyze the various actions and interactions between the characters of Sartre's play, Garcin, Estelle, and Inez.
Psychoanalytic Theory
After reading Sartre's play, I realized that the past and present actions that each character has done are based on both their external circumstances and each individual's personality.
My initial reading of the play has shown me how the id, ego, and superego balance one another. The story initially shows Garcin entering the room. During that time, he acted superiorly and even complained to the Valet, saying, "No mirrors, I notice. No windows. Only to be expected. And nothing breakable. But, damn it all, they might have left me my toothbrush!" (3). In fact, he tried to maintain his "superior attitude" by keeping quiet to himself and telling others to do the same, for they do not have anything to talk about (3). In my opinion, Garcin's attitude during the story's beginning reflects his dominant superego, where he tries to control his desires to talk or interact with one another (which is a characteristic of id).
Going further to the story, however, I realized that Garcin's nature was very different from why he was sent to hell. In fact, even if Garcin was initially shown to be a steadfast man (which characterizes his dominant superego), his past was characterized with several "Freudian Slips," where it showed his true nature – that is, to indulge in immediate gratification.
This opposing image of Garcin's character was shown by the constant abuse that his wife received. During his conversation with Inez and Estelle, he said, "I'm here because I treated my wife abominably. That's all. For five years. Naturally, she's suffering still. There she is the moment I mention her, I see her" (14). He even revealed that he left his wife and had extra-marital affairs even when his wife was around. These instances when Garcin seems to be unable to restrain himself from acting according to socially accepted norms are some characteristics of Freuding slips, which is the exact opposite of what he had shown when he first entered the room CITATION Kan02 \l 1033 (Kantor).
In contrast to Garcin, I realized that Inez is one who had a dominant id. She was the kind of person who gave more priority to immediate gratification. As said earlier, Garcin wanted them to keep to themselves because they knew that they were meant to torment each other. In other words, Garcin knew that delaying immediate gratification (to communicate) would lead to better circumstances for all of them. However, Inez was not the kind of person to heed these circumstances.
On the one hand, Inez easily succumbs to her desire to flirt with Estelle. It could be seen that Inez told Estelle, "suppose I try to be your glass? Come and pay me a visit, dear. Here's a place for you on my sofa" (11). This action shows that Inez is more likely to succumb to her immediate desires rather than delay them to improve their chances.
On the other hand, Inez's character is also reflected when she takes her anger out on Garcin when Estelle does not reciprocate her feelings for her. She did not even bother to hold back when she shouted and said that ": Of course! Because he's a Man! [To GARCIN] You've won. [GARCIN says nothing.] But look at he...