Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Reactions up to page 17...

My initial reaction to this section is confusion. Everything they are introduced to is handed to them so "matter of factly" and they don't seem to question it at all. It seems as though they are not fully grasping the horror of their situation and this confuses me since I feel like my general attitude if I were placed in this situation would be more panicked. 

Inez is the most interesting character to me. She wants to figure things out and get a sense of what is actually happening.

On page 14, she says, "I tell you they've thought it all out. Down to the last detail. Nothing was left to chance. This room was all set for us."

At this stage of the plot, it seems like Inez's purpose is to clue in the reader or the audience to what is happening. I predict we will learn a lot as readers from Inez.

I think Sartre's version of hell is that it is a place where you are human but without a few major human qualities. The fact that they are still in their bodies is almost a teaser. Hell is a place where you don't exist. They put you in a room, give you a bell to, again, tease you, and lock you away forever. 

The true torture lies in the fact that they are the only ones who aknowledge their existence. My prediction is that this will ultimately be what puts them through hell. 

2 comments:

S. Giggie said...

That last observation you make is a great one! How is one character tortured by the psychological "play acting" of the other two? Your love of acting might pique your interest in Sartre's use of acting in the play. Think about the layers of the motif he has incorportated, especially in terms of playing a role others want you to play,

Alex said...

I have to agree completely with your first paragraph, if I were in hell, I would probably be a lot more worried or afraid.

Nice acting in class today :)