No Exit 7 Deadly Sins Essay

In Sartre’s play No Exit the three main characters, Inez, Estelle and Garcin are placed in Hell with each other with no idea of why they are put together. Each of the characters has lived different experiences and committed different crimes, which can be described by one of the seven deadly sins. The seven deadly sins are lust, envy, greed, sloth, wrath, gluttony, and pride. Inez, Estelle and Garcin are “linked together” and even have shared a sin (29). The sin that is used to characterize each character is experienced in their lives and in Hell. This shows that some things never change. In this play, the characters have to look at their own selves to understand the reason as to why they are in this Hell. Sartre’s characterization of the three

Estelle usually got the men she wanted and many other things she wished for such as riches. Sartre characterizes her as a person full of lust, with lust meaning when someone longs for or has a strong passion for someone. She experienced lust in Hell and in her life, exemplified by when she was married to an older man, but had an affair with a younger man named Roger that resulted in her becoming pregnant. She “went to Switzerland for five months” with Roger and although it “did not please” her to become a mother, she wanted to experience lust with Roger, so she killed her daughter after she was born (28). Then she went back to her husband and he “never suspected anything”(28). The goal of her affair was to experience lust and she achieved it. She wanted that in Hell too when she wanted Garcin and “[wished] he would notice [her]”, but Inez was in the way (21). This desire for lust that she seeks causes her to objectify herself. She is characterized as the furthest away from the author’s view on existentialism because of her struggle to take responsibility for her

This is why he can be characterized by the seven deadly sin, pride. Pride is known as having an extravagant view on yourself and having satisfaction for their own achievements. In his life before dying “[he] treated [his] wife abominably” for “five years”(24). He treated her as he was better than her and “night after night [he] came home blind drunk, stinking of wine and women” (24). Which is ironic because in the beginning of the play, Garcin is seen as more of a nice guy rather than a coward. Although, while he is in Hell he does not have countless prideful moments, the main one is that “[he] rather be alone”(9). Garcin does not care much to hear about the crimes of the others and wishes only to keep to himself. Sartre characterizes Garcin as in the midst of a decision of whether he is going to be prideful and take responsibility for his actions like Inez or not take responsibility like