Benjamin Georgin

English HH

Mr. Ammer

5/27/10

Similarities and differences of Great 20th Century Novels

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, literature was greatly influenced by the

world around it, but also by changing views on the nature of man. No Exit, by Jean-Paul-Sartre,

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemmingway, and Lord of the Flies by William Golding, are

heralded as insightful novels that offer more than an entertaining read; they delve deep into the

human persona and help to illustrate how an individual reacts when put into a physical,

emotional, and mental struggle. These three novels boast similar, yet diverse themes, symbols,

and ideas that have helped them to become the staple of modern literature on a global scale.

No Exit, a play written by the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul-Sartre, is set in a

metaphorical hell, and follows the interactions of three characters, Joseph Garcin, Inez Serrano,

and Estelle Rigault; all three of whom are despicable in their own right and have several different

attributes that make them unbearably different. Garcin, the first to enter the room, is a Journalist

for Rio who deserted the army during World War II and was executed by firing squad for his

actions. Although he is infected to the core with cowardice, he refuses to accept it, and will stop

at nothing to prove that he is not a coward. Inez, controversially, is a lesbian postal clerk that

turned a wife against her husband, and subsequently murdered her own cousin. She accepts the

crimes she committed and admits to being a “damned bitch”(Sartre 11). Estelle Rigault, arguably

the most despicable of the three characters, had an open affair and child with a lover, and, feeling

no attachment to him, proceeded to drown their baby in a lake.

 For its new inhabitants, the most surprising part the setting of No Exit is the fact that there

are no “racks and red-hot pincers and […] other paraphernalia.” (Sartre 4), or torture

instruments. The reason for this is the most insightful part of the play, most easily described by

the quote, “L’enfer, c’est les autres”. Hell is other people. Garcin is the first to realize this when

he explains to Inez and Estelle: "You're crazy, both of you. Don't you see where this is leading

us? For pity's sake, keep your mouths shut. Now let's all sit down again quite quietly; we'll look

at the floor and each must try to forget the others are there." (Sartre 16). The characters try to

stay out of each other’s way in an attempt bypass the mental torture ahead of them, but to no

avail. Each character’s nature does not allow them to leave the others alone; Garcin must prove

that he is not a coward, Inez must seduce Estelle, and Estelle must fulfill her sexual desires with

Garcin. Each person’s ambition, however, coincides with the others’, and therefore, no one of

them can be successfully fulfilled. This continues into eternity as they are doomed to follow in a

vicious circle of the emotional torture that has been set for them.

Another theme that occurs in No Exit is that of confinement. The characters are both

physically and mentally confined in the room. It is described as a drawing room filled with

furniture from the second empire, with no mirrors or windows, and one door with a broken

doorbell. Their surroundings deny them any chance of escape, as the valet has already warned

them that the doorbell is broken. As a result, they are physically confined in “Hell”.

Nevertheless, they are mentally confined in the room as well. Throughout the novel, Garcin is

given one chance to leave the room, however he does not take it, as he would rather keep his

honor and prove to Inez that he is not a coward, even though he is on the brink of insanity.

The life of Ernest Hemmingway greatly influenced his writing of A Farewell to Arms.

His first job he took at the Kansas City Star taught him to write in the brief, declarative, direct
sentences that he mastered and is most known for today. Following that, he served as an

Ambulance on the Italian from during World War I, and injured his leg in the process. Sometime

after that, his wife, Pauline, had a difficult delivery of their child. Both of these things are the

basis for the main plot following Henry and Catherine in A Farewell To Arms.

The themes of Love, illusion and war make several occurrences in A Farewell to Arms by

Ernest Hemmingway. The protagonist, Frederic Henry, initially uses love to cover the pain and

suffering he feels because of the war. However, as he spends more time with his lover,

Catherine, he begins to feel a stronger bond with her. Henry professes his love for her: "She

looked fresh and young and very beautiful. I thought I had never seen anyone so beautiful".

(Hemmingway 136)  His love for her eventually becomes the driving force for him to fight

through the war. The love between Henry and Catherine also symbolizes how fractured a broken

the world is. Even a bond as strong as they have is only temporary, even in a tranquil and

secluded place such as the Swiss mountains. There is also a recurring theme of illusion and

fantasy. We first notice this during the first courtship of Henry and Catherine. Both of them seem

to recognize that any love between them is fake. Another example of this is when they leave Italy

to go to the Swiss Mountains. When boredom begins to set in, they make changes to themselves

in an attempt to reinvigorate their lives and their passion. For example, Henry decides to grow a

beard and Catherine makes the decision to get a haircut. Although this does not change either of

their personalities or nature, they do create the illusion of there being something significantly

different.

Hell is the most significant theme and symbol to emerge out of A Farewell to Arms. It is

materialized in novel as the war. The war affects virtually everyone in the world, and is

essentially unavoidable and never-ending. It seems as if “the war” is a greater force than just a
war, like it has become a standard of life for that time period. Very few of the characters

fervently support the war, with the majority of them feeling resentment for the difficulties,

deaths, and injuries it brings: "You are very good to say so. I am very tired of this war. If I was

away, I do not believe I would come back” (Hemmingway 194)S. Just as the war causes harm to

the soldiers physical bodies, it crumbles their spirits and their minds, causing them to do things

they would not usually do. An example of this is when Henry shoots the engineer for refusing to

help free the car from the mud shocks. This is surprising because Henry’s personality would

usually lead him refrain from violence, and this act is out of character for him. It is obvious that

the war has affected the soldiers’ mentality, because they disregard this obvious act of barbarism

as if it were nothing. Hemmingway portrays love as being more powerful than war when he has

Henry desert the army to join Catherine.

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is one of the great works of literature to explore

human nature in its primal state. In this novel, school kids are trapped on an undiscovered island,

and are forced to act on their own in order to survive. Two leaders emerge above the others:

Ralph and Jack. These two main characters both resemble and differ from each other greatly.

Both retain a high amount of charisma and courage, and prove to be able-bodied leaders.

However, there are also considerable differences between the two. Ralph appeals to the

children’s long term needs, such as the need to get off the island, and believes that if they are

going to survive, there must be some sort of order. Jack, on the other hand, appeals to their short

term needs, such as the need for food, shelter and protection, and has a much more loose plan,

centered around having fun, in order to survive.

There are several prominent symbols in Lord of the Flies that are relevant to the plot, but

also to the greater understanding of the nature of the characters and how they function. The
Conch represents society, civilization, law, and speech. Early in the book, the boys decide that

whoever has the conch may speak and not be interrupted. The conch being destroyed symbolizes

the end of order on the island, as power is now up to anyone who wants to take it, with Jack there

ready to make a move. Piggy’s glasses symbolize sight, intelligence and science in society. The

boys use the glasses to start the fire at the beginning. The absence of common sense and basic

intelligence is displayed when the glasses are broken later on. The beast represents fear and the

primal instinct within us all. Simon is the one that realizes that they, in fact are the beast, and as

the boys grow more and more savage, it becomes stronger and more real to them. The pigs head,

also known as the lord of the flies, is the head of a pig that Jack impaled on a stake as an offering

to the beast. It is the physical manifestation of the beast that evokes the beast within each human

being.

No Exit, by Jean-Paul-Sartre, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemmingway, and Lord of

the Flies by William Golding are deep and insightful works of literature that reveal many

thoughts on the human condition and how people act when faced with a physical, mental and

emotional struggle.