preview

Sartre Self Deception Analysis

Decent Essays

The last character that Sartre portrays to show self-deception is Estelle Rigault. To commence, Estelle submits herself into self-deception for the reason that she complies to bad faith. This is shown when Estelle enters the room in hell with the other characters, and is asked why she is in hell. Sartre himself writes, “‘What have you done? I mean, why have they sent you here?’ ‘That’s just it. I haven’t a notion, not the foggiest. In fact, I’m wondering if there hasn’t been some ghastly mistake...Isn’t it better to think we’ve got here by mistake?’” (9). Estelle is perfectly acting in bad faith, for she is lying to herself that she has no knowledge of why she is in hell. She refuses to acknowledge that she is in hell for her actions she made on earth. This is self-deception for she denies any responsibility for the consequences of her action that led her to hell. According to Sartre, every person has consciousness, free will, and one is responsible for one’s own actions. Unfortunately, Estelle keeps failing at overcoming bad faith by being asked yet again, for what act she did to be in hell, later in the play. Sartre writes, “‘Your turn. What have you done?’ ‘As I told you, I haven’t a notion. I rack my brain, but it’s no use.’ ‘Right. Then we’ll give you a hand. That fellow with the smashed face, who was he?’ ‘Who--who do you mean?’ ‘You know quite well’” (15). Estelle keeps deceiving herself that she has no idea what she has done to be put in hell. However, this exposes that she is indeed lying to herself, and others, by hesitating to answer them. Estelle is deeply in self-deception, for the fact that even when it is obvious she has bad faith, she continues to do so anyway. Estelle really knows what she has done to be in hell, but will not take the responsibility for her actions. Not only does she refuse any responsibility for her fate, but also continues to deny free will. For instance, Sartre agrees when he writes, “‘I lost my parents when I was a kid, and I had my young brother to bring up. We were terribly poor and when an old friend of my people asked me to marry him I said yes. He was very well off...My brother was a very delicate child and needed all sorts of attention, so really that was the right

Get Access