Thinking Outside The Box

Topic: 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 used extended metaphors to explain the way human's thoughts process and the way we see things. The "Allegory of the Cave" describes the difference belief and reality and "No Exit" describes the same thing but in different words. It explains the difference between reality and the state of mind.

In "Allegory of the Cave" Plato uses extended metaphor to show how humans see only shadows or reflections of what is real. Humans think they see a circle when it is drawn on a white board but there is no such thing as a perfect circle to us in what we perceive as real life, it is only a reflection of a real/perfect circle. Plato explains the difference between belief and reality with the cave man who sees figures in the cave wall and thinks that is only form of them there are but in reality it's shadows he is seeing made by people outside of the cave.

In "No Exit" by Sartre the extended metaphor demonstrates how we can create a place such as hell within our minds. Garcin, Inez and Estelle are all in hell but by the way the place is described it doesn't sound like the hell humans imagine today. Humans create their own individual hell whether it's in tangible form or just a mind set we create. Garcin didn't want to be alone with himself because he felt that would create a hell itself. He would eventually get tired of being alone and only listening to his thoughts. 

"No Exit" also showed us how seeing how one is through others can also create a "hell". Inez, Estelle and Garcin were all in hell for a reason, they betrayed loved ones and did things in life they are now realizing through each other were wrong and hurtful. In other words, it's like seeing reflections of themselves in each other. That is were both articles come together.

"Allegory of the Cave" and "No Exit" both show the incapability of the human mind to tell between what is real and was just belief or a reflection of reality. To fix this problem the article by Plato suggests that we try to be more knowledgeable about what is around us and to realize that we all need to be more educated academically and about life itself. "No Exit" does not really offer a solution to the problem but suggests to see through others eyes and also be able to recognize when we make mistakes so that we don't repeatedly make those same mistakes again.