“L’enfer, c’est les autres”: Photographic Representations of Character Development in Sartre’s Huis clos

Abstract

Huis clos (No Exit), a play by Jean-Paul Sartre, is an unconventional representation of Hell, where three individuals torture one another in a Second Empire style lounge complete with a butler, a servant bell, and extravagant furniture. Estelle, Inès, and Garcin are eternally inseparable, and their non-violent manner of torture - namely, the manipulation of each other’s earthly insecurities - inspires the famous quote “L’enfer, c’est les autres” (“Hell is other people”). In our presentation, we will explore the possibility of transposing this famous play in a different artistic medium.
 As an alternative medium to theatre, photography uses instantaneous frames to capture the complex details of character relations and theme without deviating too far from the play’s original form. Our work consists of a series of three photographs that use symbolic objects and body language to illustrate each character’s unique version of Hell. When taken both individually and as a whole, these photos represent a cycle of mutual torture and mutual dependence, and highlight the ways in which the characters’ past lives influence the form that torture takes in the afterlife. Parts of this presentation will be in English, and components requiring textual analysis will be done in French.