Thursday, November 29, 2012

Thinking Outside the Box

Compare how Plato and Sartre describe the limitations of our thinking and imply solutions to the problem.  Be sure to analyze their literary techniques, especially their use of allegory and extended metaphor.

Plato and Sartre both send a message of restriction through an extended metaphor. Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" is centered on the lives of three prisoners who are constrained to their dark, sheltered cave. They make assumptions based only from the foggy shadows that flash in front of them, but the pain of reality keeps them satisfied with their aloof lifestyle. In a similar way, the characters in "No Exit" are limited. Garcin, Estella, and Inez are extremely flawed individuals stuck in Hell. Sartre sees others as the catalyst of destruction. He sees liberation from society's negativity as the key to enlightenment. The moment you step back and look to yourself for answers, drop the worry of a "faux pas", and separate from the pack, the truth can surface.

1 comment:

  1. Great job Megan! You did a great job of understanding the two texts and analyzing them! Good connections too, I liked that you empahsized limitation.

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