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A STUDY IN AUTOHYPOCRISY: , MORTS SANS SEPULTURE NONE OF 'IHE LEGION of articles written about Morts sans sepulture since its first presentation in November; 1946, center around the presence -or lack-of bad faith in the various characters of the play. It is this lacuna that I shall attempt to fill. Let us first define what is meant by "bad faith." In daily speech, the grocer who knowingly cheats his customers, but hides the lie with which he lives, is guilty of bad faith. In Sartrian terms, however, it is only when the grocer, hypnotized by his own trickery, begins to believe in his basic honesty, that he becomes guilty of bad faith. It is only when hypocrisy turns into autohypocrisy that bad faith in the Sartrian way sets in. This is the case of Egisthe in Les Mooches. As all Sartrian plays, Morts sans sepulture is centered around one theme. In this case, it is duty. All the characters of the play have forgotten how to live. Instead, they "act" in a fashion dictated by their notion of their duty. This role, though self-imposed, destroys all subjectivity and brings about a state of utter bad faith. Death is certain for all the characters, with the possible exception of Jean. Their actions, therefore, have only a very limited importance. There is no question of living well, only of dying well. They need only stick to their guns, that is to say, to remain true to themselves before their enemies. Jean, the underground leader, is the only one with a chance to survive. This fact gives importance to each of his actions, to each of his choices, for each choice will bring about another which, in tum, will create a third, and so on. These choices will show what he is, and what he is not. At his very first entrance, Jean tells us that, for him, only one thing counts: duty. All his words reflect this idea: JEAN: J'esperais que vous etiez morts. HENRI, riant: Nous avons fait de notre mieux. JEAN: Je m'en doute. (p. 192)1 This is not said in hatred. It is a precaution to protect the group. He feels safe, but the joy der..ved from this is not personal: being safe, he may go to warn the group when he is freed. Like his friends, Jean is entirely devoted, but with one difference: he will live. He feels this and, at that very instant, he senses that he is no longer as one with his friends. Even his mistress, Lucie, shrinks from him. He 1. The page l1umbeJs following the quotations refer to the edition of Th44t1'B I (Paris: Gallimard, 1947). 343 344 MODERN DRAMA February complains of this solitude, of the duties which will weigh upon him, and it is at that moment that Fran90is calls him "salaud." The importance of this insult is that it is Fran90is who hurls it, for it is he who is least imbued with bad faith. It is therefore safe to say that here, the word has a double meaning: the ordinary insult and the Sartrian expression. Fran90is feels this: "Regardez-Ie donc! Mais regardez -Ie done! Le plus malheureux de nous tous. II a dormi et mange. Ses mains sont libres, il reverra Ie jour, il va vivre. Mais c'est Ie plus malheureux. Qu'est-ce que tu veux? Qu'on te plaigne? Salaud!" (p. 222). It is easy to see that, according to Fran90is, what should make Jean the happiest of men is this freedom, this tomOlTOW which destroys the gratuity of his acts and permits him to choose. Jean's only answer is to invite Fran90is to betray him. This beh'ayal would bring him to the level of his friends. But it is this very choice which separates him from his friends, and which will keep him separated . If he falls into the hands of the militia, that is to say, if he betrays himself or if he lets Fran90is betray him, he will do so by choice. Even his last act would be one of freedom, a choice, a decision which the others are not at liberty...

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