No Exit

No Exit takes place in a single room, which presents to the audience as empty at the play’s beginning. The furniture is Second Empire style, an ostentatious type of décor and architecture that emerged in the late 19th century. This style became popular while Paris was undergoing modernization and urban planning development. The room contains three couches, a mantelpiece with a bronze ornament upon it, a lamp, and a paper knife. The bronze ornament is a piece of art replicated in bronze by Ferdinand Barbedienne, a famous metalworker who specialized in replicas.

The Valet introduces Joseph Garcin to the room where he will be staying for his afterlife. Garcin calls the room “bogus in bogus” and laments having to “posture” falsely with furniture he dislikes (3). Garcin expected fire, brimstone, and torture devices. The Valet mocks him for listening to people who have never visited the afterlife (3). Garcin misses the little touches of human life, like toothbrushes and sleeping. The Valet reminds him that he doesn’t need such trivial things in death. Garcin describes feeling like a drowning man, with only his eyes above water, staring at the ugly Barbedienne ornament. The other characters eventually agree with Garcin: They all hate the room’s décor.

The Valet does not understand why Garcin wants sleep, or the small rest of blinking, which leads Garcin to discover that the Valet does not have functioning eyelids. The Valet informs Garcin that there is nothing to the afterlife but more rooms and hallways and electric lights. Garcin becomes enraged and tries to destroy the ornament, which proves to be too heavy. The Valet sees that Garcin is settled, and tells Garcin that he can ring a bell near the door to summon him. The Valet leaves Garcin alone for a very long time. The audience watches Garcin pace his room and try to summon the Valet without success.

The Valet returns with Inez Serrano. He introduces Inez to the room, tells her Garcin can answer her questions, and leaves. Inez, without introduction, asks Garcin where Florence might be. Florence is Inez’s former lover who killed them both. Inez believes Garcin to be her torturer, which he finds funny. Garcin introduces himself to Inez; she gives him the cold shoulder and refuses to tell him her name. The two discover that the room lacks mirrors when Inez mentions looking at her own reflection and seeing a torturer. Garcin suggests they be cordial with one another and Inez rejects the idea. After a long silence, with Garcin seated and Inez pacing, Inez snaps at Garcin for moving his mouth about in a way that suggests fear. The two sit in silence again. Garcin buries his face in his hands to stop his fearful lip movements from upsetting Inez.

The Valet returns with the play’s final character, Estelle Rigault. When Estelle enters, she assumes Garcin is her former lover, Roger. She believes he is hiding his face because Roger damaged his severely when committing suicide. Garcin reveals his face and tells her that he is not her torturer. The Valet informs them that nobody else will join them. Estelle finds the sofas to be ridiculously hideous and laughs at them. She takes Garcin’s sofa, which she believes is more flattering than the vivid green couch that had been left open for her. The three characters introduce themselves and the Valet leaves. The Valet will not appear again for the rest of the play.

Inez and Estelle talk about their deaths. Estelle died only the day before, while Inez has been dead a week (11). Estelle’s funeral is currently in progress and she begins describing it for Inez. The audience learns that the three have glimpses of Earth when they are remembered, talked about, or their memories are otherwise disturbed. Estelle watches Olga, her very close “bosom friend,” cry at her funeral (11-12). She also describes her husband, a much older man she married to escape poverty, as “prostrated with grief” (12).

The three share details about their deaths. These are sparse now and leave out much information they later reveal. Inez died by the “gas stove,” Estelle died from pneumonia, and Garcin from “twelve bullets through [his] chest” (12). Garcin explains he is from Rio, and Estelle tells him she is from Paris. When asked about who he left behind, Garcin describes a scene of his wife on Earth. She is waiting outside of the barracks where he used to work at and is unaware of his demise. Garcin is greatly annoyed by his wife’s emotions and her “martyred look” (12). After a short silence, the three characters reflect on life at night back on Earth. Garcin sees his newspaper office at night, a “black hole” of heat; Estelle sees Olga undressing for the night; Inez’s apartment has been sealed off and emptied. Estelle asks Garcin to keep his coat on and makes a point of telling him she detests men in their shirt-sleeves.

The absurdity of their predicament sinks in. Estelle expected friends or relatives in her afterlife. Inez is convinced there is a purpose behind them being placed in a room together. They discuss the circumstances of their lives and find they did not live in the same cities or inhabit the same social circles. Inez convinces the other two there is a reason for this arrangement and the three determine to solve the mystery.

Inez asks them each what they’ve “done” to deserve being here. Garcin and Estelle reveal more details about themselves: Garcin talks about his pacifist newspaper and Estelle talks about escaping poverty through marriage. Inez suspects they are hiding information and antagonizes them until Garcin snaps. With a sudden realization, Inez explains they’ve been placed together to do the work of torturers: They are meant to torture one another. She describes it as “the same idea as in the cafeteria” (18). The three of them agree to be completely silent and stay away from each other. Garcin believes they can find their salvation by “[l]ooking into ourselves, never raising our heads” (18).