No Exit — Jean-Paul Sartre | Coleman’s Notes® Reader’s Companion

Enter the claustrophobic and thought-provoking world of Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit with this detailed Coleman’s Notes® Reader’s Companion.

First performed in 1944, No Exit (Huis Clos) places three strangers — Garcin, Inès and Estelle — together in a locked room for eternity. There are no conventional instruments of torture. Instead, each character becomes both observer and tormentor of the others.

This companion takes readers beyond the play’s deceptively simple premise to explore Sartre’s treatment of freedom, responsibility, self-deception, judgement and our dependence upon the perceptions of other people.

Inside you’ll find detailed guidance to the play’s action and structure, character studies, major themes, symbolism, philosophical and historical context, Sartre’s existentialist ideas, and an exploration of the famous declaration often translated as “Hell is other people.”

Ideal for readers discovering Sartre, students of French and European literature, theatre enthusiasts, book groups, and anyone interested in the relationship between philosophy and drama.

Digital edition — PDF download.

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