Why does Pablo laugh at the end of the wall?

At the end of the story, he does not truly share his reaction to Ramon’s death. Instead, he relates that he laughed so hard that tears came to his eyes and ends the story. This abrupt termination—almost like death—leaves readers to wonder whether he had any idea that Ramon might indeed be hiding in the cemetery.

What is the wall by Sartre about?

In “The Wall”, Jean-Paul Sartre juxtaposes a so-called “free” man with three men on death row to accentuate the idea of existentialism; although it appears only the three sentenced to die are prisoners of the Fascist regime, Sartre implies that social death gives every man a life sentence.

What is the setting of Sartre’s short story The Wall?

Written in 1939, the story is set in the Spanish Civil War, which began July 18, 1936, and ended April 1, 1939, when the Nationalists (known in Spanish as the Nacionalistas), led by General Francisco Franco, overcame the forces of the Spanish Republic and entered Madrid.

What is Sartre’s dilemma?

The dilemma encountered by one of Sartre’s students is frequently analyzed in works on ethics and philosophy (Statman 17; Detmer, Sartre Explained 169). The problem is that a young man is torn between the desire to revenge for his brother’s death and fulfilling his duty as a son (Statman 17).

What is the purpose of the wall by Jean-Paul Sartre?

Couched in the first person, limited solely to Pablo’s individual perceptions and opinions, “The Wall” serves as an object-lesson in the literary and critical theories that Sartre was then developing.

How does Sartre describe Spain in the wall?

In “The Wall” Sartre not so much describes the real history of Spain, but rather precisely and psychologically accurately depicts evolution of the human mind, that tries to conceive inconceivable – death, and, as a result, life. No characters, including main character – Pablo Ibbieta, achieve the latter.

What are the major themes of Sartre’s story the existentialist?

Noteworthy elements of Sartre’s story help bring to life several of the central concepts of existentialism. These major themes include: Like much existentialist literature, the story is written from the first person perspective, and the narrator has no knowledge beyond the present.

When did Jean Paul Sartre write Le Mur?

Jean Paul Sartre published the French short story Le Mur (“The Wall”) in 1939. It is set in Spain during the Spanish Civil War which lasted from 1936 to 1939. The bulk of the story is taken up describing a night spent in a prison cell by three prisoners who have been told they will be shot in the morning.