Setting Vs Story - Dantes Inferno And Sartres No Exit Essay -- essays

This essay is on setting differences using the works of Dante's The Inferno and Jean Paul Sartre's No Exit.Adam looks about spotting all the important people that will influence the rest of his life. He takes a deep breath and prepares to make this his last and final addition to life. Quietly he draws back from the church as if to stop time, this moment may define him as a man. He turns to look at the priest as if to reply his answer, but suddenly he realizes the hand he is holding is as cold as death. Quickly he snaps back into reality recognizing he is not asking for his bride's hand in marriage, but burying her. Once again his mind tricked him into thinking that he was starting all over again with a new chance; however, as in life, sometimes there are no second chances.Dante's Inferno and Jean Paul Sartre's No Exit illustrate irony in setting in similar ways, such that there are no second chances in life. Both works take the readers into the minds of their authors where each author gives their interpretation of hell. Dante's and Jean Paul Sartre's works both have similar aspects of setting that are expressed in similar styles. Through symbolism, representation, and finite physical details each author establishesirony, yet also reinforces his theme. When Dante wrote The Inferno his mind thrived on the different levels of interpretation; likewise, Jean Paul Sartre's mind thrived on this, and he patterned No Exit after Dante's work. The symbolism expressed in Dante's Inferno correlates directly, in some cases, to the play written by Jean Paul Sartre, No Exit. Symbolism in both works cannot be defined by one level of thinking and neither can it be comprehended on one level. However, symbolism in relation to the setting of both works exhibits the nature of both writers to be very ironic in some cases. For example, throughout Dante's Inferno, Dante makes many direct references to the light and the heavens: "Therefore, if you win through this gloomy pass and climb again to see the heaven of stars when it rejoices to you . . ." (p. 145, l. 82 -5).These references, also made in No Exit, reveal the irony that none of the inhabitants of hell can ever see the light of God or, in Jean Paul Sartre's perspective, will always be reminded of the light and the choice they made: "Always broad daylight in my eyes- and in my head." (p.6) is another ... ... having his maincharacters seeing his version of hell in a hotel suite. This ironical atmosphere gives the readers exactly the reaction he wants, the idea that this could never be hell because the lack of flaming pits and pointy tailed devils. He uses this edge to surprise his readers into thinking that hell can be anyplace in the world it is he state of mind and punishment that makes it truly hell."What I was living, the same I now, dead"(p. 109, l. 66) stated Dante in his work The Inferno. The setting reinforces this theme that the irony of the sin committed will be the punishment received. Setting in both of these works expressed the ironical nature of both these writers and how they used this to give insight to their work. Through the symbolism, representation, and finite physical details Dante and Jean Paul Sartre both exhibited the essence of the meaning of irony. These various literary devicestransform a work of literatureinto a style with which readers can both identify and understand, yet also taking them to the next level. When setting can be interpreted ironically in many levels, something as simple as a few chairs and a table could represent Hell's Kitchen.