Jean-Paul Sartre Essay -- Biography Biographies Philosophers Essays

Jean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Sartre was an existentialist philosopher. The hesitations of his philosophyoften come out in his readings. Existentialism questions why we exist.Existentialists retract the existence of God. Existentialist writers such as Kafka andSartre often use prisons and solitary(a) confinement to declaim their stories. Often, neitherthe reader nor the protagonist is aware of what horror has been committed.Jean-Paul Sartres The Wall reflects his philosophy and somebodyal experiences.He worked for the French opposition and was impris cardinald by the Germans duringWWII. The story takes place during the Spanish Civil contend in an old hospital beinguse by the Spanish Fascists to house pris unmatchablers. The Wall is told from a firstperson, electric current of consciousness point-of-view, and uses existentialist philosophy,to illuminate the follies of totalitarian governments like Fascism, and Nazism. Like approximately existentialist writers, Sartre chooses to tell the story of The Wall formthe first person stream-of-consciousness point-of-view. We get dialogue from othercharacters, but the dialogue is filtered through the legal opinion and thoughts of Pablo. Theterror in the story slowly unfolds from Pablos mind. In the beginning, Sartre stillgives us a hint of terror. The reality of the situation has not to that extent set into Pablosmind They pushed us into a big bloodless room and I began to blink because the light hurtmy eye. Then I saw a table and four men behind the table, civilians, flavour overthe papers. They had bunched another group of prisoners in the back and we hadto cross the strong room to join them. There were several I knew and some otherswho moldiness have been foreigners. The two in front of me were blond with roundskulls they looked alike. I supposed they were French. The smaller one kepthitching up his pants nerves. (7) The ferocity on the round skull foreshadows a scene that later brings terror intogreater e ffect. Tom tells Pablo while they are waiting to be executed, that they aimfor the eyes and head to disfigure your face. The emphasis on the perfect roundskulls in the first paragraph draws attention to faces and heads. The smaller onehitching up his nerves, tell us from the beginning that Pablo should be nervoushimself. Pablo knows he is in problem at the beginning. He just does not realize theamount yet. ... ...out true statement or a persons innocence. Juan isguilty of know criminal offence and is put to death. Garcia who Pablo meets in the courtyardafter he gives his false testimony, had zip to do with politics (36). Whenasked why he was arrested, Garica responds They arrest everybody who doesnt withdraw the way they do(36). The Nazis and the Fascists used rational torture and the threat of terror to getpeople to question their own existence, their own sanity. They do not think, theyjust take orders and obey. Therefore, it is short ironic that Pablo sends them toa place d evoid of reason or thought. The tho irony is that Gris is hiding in thegraveyard in the gravediggers shack and is killed in a gunfight. Pablo says after learning of Griss death, everything began to spin and I erectmyself siting on the ground I laughed so hard I cried (37). Pablo laughs until hecries because he realizes he never will understand why one man dies and anotherlives. In spite of all his thinking and mental anguish over the question, everyanswer he discovers leads back to Descartes the only when part of his existence he cannot question is the one truth, I think, therefore I am.