The Flies — Jean-Paul Sartre | Coleman’s Notes® Reader’s Companion

Enter the unsettling world of Jean-Paul Sartre’s The Flies with this detailed Coleman’s Notes® Reader’s Companion.

First performed in 1943 during the German occupation of France, The Flies (Les Mouches) reworks the ancient Greek story of Orestes to explore some of Sartre’s most important ideas: freedom, responsibility, guilt, choice and resistance to oppression.

This companion takes readers beyond a simple summary of the play, examining how Sartre transforms the classical myth of Orestes, Electra, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus into a powerful drama of individual freedom and moral responsibility.

Inside you’ll find detailed guidance to the plot and structure, character studies, major themes, philosophical and historical context, symbolism and imagery, Sartre’s treatment of existential freedom, and the significance of the play’s ending.

Ideal for readers discovering Sartre, students of French and European literature, book groups, and anyone wanting to understand the philosophical ideas beneath the drama.

Digital edition — PDF download.

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