THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

QUESTIONS:
Think about the place you have chosen as your hell. Does it look ordinary and bourgeois, like Sartre's drawing room, or is it equipped with literal instruments of torture like Dante's Inferno? Can the mind be in hell in a beautiful place? Is there a way to find peace in a hellish physical environment? Enter Sartre's space more fully and imagine how it would feel to live there endlessly, night and day:
- My hell is similar to the hell in Dante's Inferno. In my hell, there is fire everywhere, it's extremely loud, and you're surrounded by people you dislike. In my hell, you are always angry, continually tortured, and you are unhappy no matter what. I believe that the mind can be in hell while in a beautiful place. If one's mind is filled with negative thoughts and ideas, a beautiful surrounding does not make a difference. When one is in a negative state of mind a surrounding has no positive impact on them, negativity is the only thing on their mind and nothing can fix their state of mind, only they have the power to do so. There is a way to find peace in a hellish physical environment. I believe that if a person is in a hellish atmosphere, but has a positive state mind they will have the ability to find peace.
Could hell be described as too much of anything without a break? Are variety, moderation and balance instruments we use to keep us from boiling in any inferno of excess,' whether it be cheesecake or ravenous sex?
- I believe that hell could be described as too much of anything without a break. Variety, moderation and balance are instruments used to keep individuals from boiling in any inferno of excess. Too much of anything eventually gets tiring and when one has too much of something they do not function very well and grow frustrated. Breaks keep people sane, without breaks people would not be able to get through life.
How does Sartre create a sense of place through dialogue? Can you imagine what it feels like to stay awake all the time with the lights on with no hope of leaving a specific place? How does GARCIN react to this hell? How could you twist your daily activities around so that everyday habits become hell? Is there a pattern of circumstances that reinforces the experience of hell?
- Sartre creates a sense of place through Garcin and Valet's conversation. Based off of their conversation, one is able to imagine this hell through Garcin's questions and Valet's answers. I don't wish to imagine what is feels like to stay awake all the time with the lights on with no hope of leaving a certain place, it seems like torture and a situation of great misery and frustration. Garcin is curious yet confused about this hell. This hell is nothing compared to what he expected, therefore his question asking demonstrates his curiosity. School can become hell. No passing periods, no lunch, and remaining in one class room with constant lesson could become hell.


COMPARISON:
Compare how Plato and Sartre describe the limitations of our thinking and imply solutions to the problem.  Be sure to analyze their literary techniques, especially their use of allegory and extended metaphor.
Plato
- The cave is a prison.
- Prisoners are chained up in the cave.
- Hellish physical environment: darkness, chains, fire, shadows.
- Leaving the cave is the only way to become educated and gain knowledge.
- Knowledge sets prisoners free.
- Enlightenment is gained from knowledge of the outside world.
- Voices outside the cave represent the reality of life.
- Imagery: the cave, fire, shadows, and prisoners.

Sartre
- The room is a prison (hell).
- Prisoners are Inez, Garcin, and Estelle.
- Hell is an ordinary room.
- Hell is other people.
- Can leave, choose not to.
- Learning about each other is the only way to "avoid torture."
- The voices they are able to hear are from real life (their past life).
- Imagery: the room, furniture, light.
- Indirect Characterization: we learn about the characters through dialogue.