No Exit

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “existentialism” as the following:

a chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad.

Consider this definition in relation to general philosophical approaches to life. Have you heard this term before? In what context? If not, what might cause someone to believe in existentialism as a philosophy for living? Explain.

Teaching Suggestion: Broadly speaking, the existential movement predates Jean-Paul Sartre; in fact, one may trace its roots in the rise of Protestant, individualist, and rational movements throughout the 16th-19th centuries, which ultimately questioned forms of hierarchy, the purpose of religious institutions and the meaning of the self. However, Sartre’s specific view of existentialism can be linked to the end of World War II, in which various artistic and philosophical movements began to question the meaning of existence in the post-war world. Students should understand that the term “existentialism,” while broad and overlapping into other schools of thought, should not be confused with the terms “nihilism” and “absurdism” (please see second link below).

• This article from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy provides an extensive overview of existentialism.
• This 9-minute video from Sorrow is Knowledge Philosophy clarifies the meaning of the terms “nihilism,” “absurdism,” and “existentialism.” (Content Warning: attitudes toward suicide are inevitably part of an understanding of nihilism, which holds that life is meaningless. The video addresses these attitudes in a forthright way and concludes that suicide is not the best answer to a world without meaning.)

2. World Wars I and II drastically affected all facets of lives, including literature and other artistic representations. Consider the relationship between war and artistic representation. How would post-war generations of artists and writers be affected by war? Consider World War I (WWI) and World War II (WWII) in your answer.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the historical context of Sartre’s play in the post-World War II world, particularly in relation to the themes Creating Meaning in Absurdity and The Possibility of Redemption. In the years following the World Wars, many artists and authors began to explore the meaning of life and existence, along with social expectations, in their works. After WWI, modernism was the primary approach for writers, whereas WWII signified a general shift into a “postmodern” and “postcolonial” approach for Western artists and scholars. It was during the latter era that Sartre wrote his existential pieces.

• History.com gives information regarding “How World War I Changed Literature.”
• Discoverfrance.net explores the impact of the world wars on French literature in the genres of poetry, the novel, and theater in “French Literature: The 20th Century.” 

Short Activity

Philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre was an important contributor to the existential school of thought. Working in small groups, research the existentialist movement and select one of its associated writers (other than Sartre) to present to the class in an informal presentation. Be sure to highlight the individual’s background, philosophy, relationship to Sartre, and key contributions to existentialism, such as their focus on the themes Subjectivity Versus Objectivity of The Self, Creating Meaning in Absurdity, and The Possibility of Redemption. Include any visuals and/or media, if relevant.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity invites students to explore notable existentialist authors, philosophers, and playwrights in the context of a group activity. Depending on the level of the class, this Short Activity works well as either an informal in-class discussion or a formal presentation with the necessary visuals. Preview the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy source if you want to provide specific suggestions, such as Simone de Beauvoir, Sartre’s lifelong companion, or Martin Heidegger, Sartre’s contemporary.

• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy shares information on novelist and essayist Simone de Beauvoir.
• The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy provides a brief overview of the school of thought along with “Key Existentialist Philosophers.”

Differentiation Suggestion: For an extended group exercise with an oral performance component, the following question may be added to the above prompt: Select one of your chosen figures’ pieces (script, essay, novel, etc.). Share/perform an excerpt of this piece out loud with the class as a part of your presentation, identifying key themes that relate to the existentialist philosophy.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

As a part of Existential philosophy, Sartre claimed that people were the result of their actions. In this vein, how people view themselves (with subjectivity) is different from how other people view them (with objectivity); while this is a source of anxiety for humans, namely, in how other people view themselves, Sartre attests to the importance of having other people’s perspectives in order to fully understand ourselves.

Consider this dichotomy between the subjective self and the objective self. Do you agree with Sartre’s assertion that other people are needed in order to understand ourselves? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt invites students to explore the play’s theme of Subjectivity Versus Objectivity of The Self within their own understanding. One of the main concepts of Sartre’s play is that the presence of other people, and therefore the projections of other people’s understandings onto a person, causes anxiety for the self. However, Sartre notes that humans need other people in order to face the reality of their true selves. This Prompt segues directly into the Discussion/Analysis Prompt.