PRACTICE ESSAY

Characters are perceived based on how they respond to certain situations. In "No Exit" by Jean Paul Sartre and "The Allegory of the Cave" by Plato, characters are characterized based on their actions and reactions to specific events. Imagine one of the prisoners from "The Allegory of the Cave" going on a backpacking expedition in the wilderness. Throughout the backpacking expedition the prisoner is to do everything for himself in order to have a successful trip. How exactly would he adapt to his new environment? How would he handle this adventure?

 Based on the prisoner's surroundings in "The Allegory of the Cave," he would not only have a challenging time adapting to the wilderness physically, but mentally as well. Due to the darkness of the cave, the prisoner would have an extremely difficult time adjusting to the bright sky of the outside world. As shadows as the only form of the prisoner's knowledge regarding the outside world, the prisoner would also encounter a variety of obstacles along the way. Due to the very fact that the prisoner is unaware of how anything actually looks in the outside world, he would have a fairly difficult time identifying poisonous plants, clean drinking water, as well as a safe campground. He would not even have the ability to distinguish a plant from a tree, let alone know how a leaf looks, or even feels.  In "The Allegory of the Cave," Plato's characters are characterized to be fearful of the outside world. The slaves were unwilling to leave the cave because they were afraid of the unknown. The prisoner would ultimately struggle to do anything which requires leaving the cave. The prisoners of the cave were afraid of what they did not recognize, therefore, overcoming this fear, breaking out of their comfort zone, and exploring new paths would be an overwhelming situation for a prisoner.

However, Garcin from "No Exit" would respond to the backpacking expedition in a slightly different manner. Although Garcin wouldn't struggle to recognize anything from the outside world, he would have a difficult time exploring different paths on his own. Like the prisoner, he would be uncomfortable leaving the room and choose to stay because he would refuse to explore a different environment, even when given the opportunity. Garcin would much rather stay in an atmosphere he is unhappy with, than be independent and do something on his own.

Based on their characterization's, characters will respond differently to similar situations. Plato's characterization of the prisoners demonstrates the fear which the prisoners dealt with. The prisoner were afraid of everything that was not in the cave; everything that they did not know. Sartre, however, characterizes his characters to be somewhat dependent. In "No Exit," the characters are given the opportunity to leave the hell, but they all decide to remain in the room because they do no wish to go on all on their own and ultimately discover beyond their surrounding.