No Exit Life, Consciousness, Existence Quotes Page 1
Citations follow this format: (Line). Every time a character talks counts as one line, even if what they say turns into a long monologue. We used the translation by S. Gilbert found in No Exit and Three Other Plays, published by Vintage International in 1989.
| Quote #1 VALET: That's good! So you haven't yet got over your – what-do-you-call-it? – sense of human dignity? Excuse my smiling. (20) |
The valet identifies Garcin’s concern for the physical – a bathroom and a toothbrush – as lingering human dignity. But this idea manifests itself in the emotional as well. Garcin’s concern for his reputation back on earth is another example of the concern for "human dignity."
| Quote #2 VALET: Well, yes, that's so – in a way. But you can never be sure about that bell. There's something wrong with the wiring, and it doesn't always work. |
More dark humor, this time in the stage directions. The valet’s surprise is much like Garcin’s later reaction when the door swings open at the end of the play.
| Quote #3 INEZ: Ah, that's the way it works, is it? Torture by separation. (67) |
If only! Like Garcin earlier, Inez fears the wrong punishment.
