Bariona, the Germination of Sartrean Theater

Author(s): Christine Mohanty

Source: The French Review , May, 1974, Vol. 47, No. 6 (May, 1974), pp. 1094-1109
Published by: American Association of Teachers of French

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THE FRENCH REVIEW, Vol. XLVII, No. 6, May, 1974 Printed in U.S.A.

Bariona, the Germination of Sartrean

Theater

by Christine Mohanty

THE MAJORITY OF CRITICS who undertake a study of Sartrean

theater often approach it via a discussion of Les Mouches, heretofore
considered to be Sartre's first venture into the dramatic genre.1
However, it was in 1940, three years prior to the publication of this
renowned play that another, which has to date eluded the public,
had already been presented on stage. Bariona ou le fils du tonnerre2
was performed for the first and last time Christmas day of that year
before an audience of prisoners in a German camp of World War II
with Sartre himself playing one of the leading roles (ibid., p. 374).
The author, likewise a prisoner, through the guise of a "Christmas
story," was able to convey to his despairing public a message of
resistance, freedom and hope. Thus began for Sartre a long play
writing career which would thereafter bear the mark of engagement
so central to his existential philosophy. This element of engagement,
however, is not the only germ that was to take root in the later plays.
Indeed, it is our contention that Bariona, in many respects, is the
seminal influence of its successors and consequently, the "father" of
Sartrean drama. We will attempt to substantiate such a contention by
showing how three plays, written at approximately equal intervals of
Sartre's dramatic development relate to Bariona in terms of source,
structure, characters and themes. For this purpose, we have selected
'There are only two articles to my knowledge that treat Bariona to any
extent: Thure Stenstrom, "Jean-Paul Sartre's First Play," Orbis Litterarum, 22
(1967), 173-90 and Henning Krauss, "Bariona: Sartre's Theaterauffassung im
Spiegel seines ersten Dramas," Germanisch-romanische Monatsschrift, 19 (1969),
179-94. Neither of these deals adequately with Bariona's influence on Sartre's
subsequent dramatic works.
2 The first regular printing of Bariona appears in the appendix of Michel
Contat and Michel Rybalka, Les Ecrits de Sartre: Chronologie Bibliographie
commentee (Paris: Gallimard, 1970), pp. 565-633. The two prior editions were
limited and not available to the general public. The first of these was published
by Atelier Anjou in 1962 and the second, also by Atelier Anjou, appeared in
1967 under the editorship of Elisabeth Marescot.
1094

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 SARTRE'S BARIONA 1095

Les Mouches (1943), Le Diable et le Bon Dieu (1951) and Les

Troyennes (1965).3
Bariona finds its source in the great Christian myth of the Nativity,
thereby fulfilling one of Sartre's criteria for the theater,4 but the
myth, as hinted at previously, had a very practical advantage as well
In a Nazi prison camp, it was highly unlikely that a play whose aim
was openly to denounce fascism would be appreciated. However,
because it contained the built-in distance furnished by myth, Bariona
escaped the scrutiny of its censors while on the other hand, the true
meaning of the work did not escape the audience.s Following the
pattern cut out by the first play, its inheritors likewise frequently
employ the myth as a buffer between reality and the stage. They also
often exhibit "une intrigue a la fois prudente et transparente." Les
Mouches, based upon the Greek myth of Orestes, is a subterfuge for
Sartre's condemnation of the guilt complex the Vichy government
forced upon the French people to justify the German occupation.
The origin of Le Diable is Cervantes' El rufio dichoso6 which,
judging by the mythic proportions of Don Quixote, probably
contained the elements which would appeal to the self-proclaimed
"forger of myths." Set in sixteenth century Germany, Le Diable also
conceals a theme born of the time at which it was written--the Cold
War. The hero, Goetz, according to Sartre, is the embodiment of
"l'homme de notre temps entre 1'URSS et les Etats-Unis et dans ce
qui devrait etre un socialisme."7 In his introduction to Les
Troyennes, depicting the aftermath of the fall of Troy, the author
points out how this Greek myth serves to illustrate the tragic

3 For Les Mouches and Le Diable et le Bon Dieu, the edition used is "Le Livre
de Poche" and for Les Troyennes, the regular Gallimard edition. Although this
last play is an adaptation from Euripides, Sartre has made certain basic changes
in his treatment of its content, described in his introduction, that reflect his
existential vision of the world. Le Diable et le Bon Dieu will hereafter be
referred to as Le Diable.

4 See Sartre's "Forgers of Myths: the Young Playwrights of France," Theat

Arts, 30 (June 1946), 324-35, for which the French text no longer exists, an
Claude Sarraute's interview "Les Sdequestre's d'Altona. Jean-Paul Sartre: 'I1 n
s'agit ni d'une piece politique ni d'une piece a these,' " Le Monde (17 Se
1959).
SSimone de Beauvoir, La Force de l'dge. "Le Livre de Poche." (Paris:
Gallimard, 1960), p. 559.
6 Simone de Beauvoir, La Force des choses, I. "Le Livre de Poche." (Paris:
Gallimard, 1963), p. 330. See also Contat, p. 237.
7 Jean Duche, "Jean-Paul Sartre repond a la critique dramatique et offre un
guide au spectateur pour suivre Le Diable et le Bon Dieu," Le Figaro Litteraire
(30 June 1951).

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 1096 FRENCH REVIEW

consequences of colonial wars, bringing to mind Algeria and

Vietnam.
If Bariona's source is the spring from which the later works will
flow, its structure forms the scaffolding upon which they will be
built. Despite the fact that it is a relatively modern play, Bariona
meets many of the standards of classicism, demonstrating a
remarkable propensity towards the classic tragedy in particular.
Sartre has admitted, in fact, that he is "less concerned with making
innovations than with returning to a tradition" ("Forgers," p. 331).
The most outstanding feature of the tragedy is the unavoidable
fatality that encompasses its heroes and draws them ever closer to
the fulfillment of their destiny. The major difference between the
classic concept of tragedy and Sartre's is that the hero falls prey, not
to an outside force, but to the force of liberty within himself.
Bariona, for instance, is unremittingly pulled in the direction of
self-realization until he encounters his own essence, which is
ironically the lack of any essence whatsoever. Orestes, Goetz and
Hecuba are inevitably forced into the same confrontation. Accom-
panying the tragic fatality of the four plays under study is the
element of violent catastrophe exemplified usually by a murder of
some kind. Bloodshed is hardly alien to Sartrean theater which opens
upon a macabre infanticide plot in Bariona.
The technique of the three unities, so characteristic of the French
classic tragedy, is reintegrated into the first play which in turn
influences to a great extent the composition of its successors. The
action of Bariona, like that of Les Mouches and Les Troyennes,
occurs within twenty-four hours. In fact, the majority of the author's
dramatic works are brief and direct while those overstepping the time
limit retain their unity through their focus upon the central action
concerning the discovery of freedom. The place of action may
change in Sartre's drama, but its atmosphere is invariable. Marie-
Denise Boros, in her excellent analysis of the theme of sequestration
in Sartrean works, speaks of the metaphors of le mur, la chambre
close and la ville fermie which shut out the spirit of man as well as
close in upon it.8 These metaphors first appear in Bariona as Lelius,
the Roman outsider, describes in the opening scene how he is
alienated by Palestine's cold sterility, while later Bariona is unable to
penetrate the warmth of the stable in Bethlehem. Orestes'
"welcome" into Argos, characterized by stifling heat, is a d
contrast to that of Lelius into Bethaura but offers the same

' Un Sequestre: l'homme sartrien (Paris: Nizet, 1968), pp. 18-33.

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 SARTRE'S BARIONA 1097

sensation. The walled-in

Troyennes) illustrate em
isolation pervading Sartrea
Although we could hardly
Le Cid, its dialogue, like
lyric declamation which
statements of differing
between Bariona and his w
Rodrigue and Chimene, an
shepherds, speaks with e
the interspersing of chor
employed again in Les M
exhibits straightforward
from Euripides, is truly c
to say that it demonstrates explicitly what Bariona does implicitly.
Also in line with classic standards, Sartre's plays, with the
exception of Nekrassov perhaps, concentrate their action around a
few key players. This facet of his drama finds its inspiration in
Bariona where our attention is focused primarily upon the existential
hero whom, largely because he exists in the margins of society,
Francis Jeanson has referred to as "le batard."' 0 Bariona, although
deeply committed to the defense of his Jewish people against the
Roman tyrants, repeatedly alienates those he fights for through his
espousal of nihilistic, inhuman measures. First, he advocates the
discontinuance of procreation in order to deny the Romans future
victims, then he demands that his wife abort her first child and
finally, he attempts to murder the Christ child, symbolic to him of
the spirit of resignation which he so detests. Gradually, Bariona
begins to resemble "une idole farouche, aux cils baisses, aveugle et
sourde aux paroles humaines" (p. 603). This batard recognizes only
too well his isolation from humanity as he stands outside the stable
enclosing the Holy Family, his townspeople and his own wife:
"Voila, je suis ballott6 par la nuit comme une barrique par les vagues
et l'6table est derriere moi, lumineuse et close, comme l'Arche de
N6` .. ." (p. 623). But his wish to be inside with the others1 1 is
counteracted by his inability to accept the hope offered by the
Nativity. Fortunately, Bariona is saved from his schizophrenic
9 Sartre has admitted his admiration of Corneille in "Forgers," p. 329.
10Jeanson's critique, Sartre par lui-meme. "Ecrivains de Toujours." (Paris:
Seuil, 1955) discusses to some extent this concept in Sartre's theater.
1 1 Bariona's words "Ah si je pouvais 6tre parmi eux" (p. 622) are echoed by
Orestes (Les Mouches, p. 137) and Goetz (Le Diable, p. 234).

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 1098 FRENCH REVIEW

state1 2 by Balthazar wh
and the joy that can a
grasps the concept of freedom, Bariona undergoes a conversion,
ultimately accepting the birth of his own child and engaging himself,
along with his people, in a struggle to save the life of Christ, whom
he was about to slaughter only moments before. At the close of the
play, it is evident that despite his painfully lucid awareness of the
gulf that separates himself from others, Bariona chooses to act with
them rather than to pursue ideals of his own fabrication. This act of
generosity, with perhaps the exception of that of Goetz, is
unequalled in Sartrean theater.
If Bariona sketches the outlines of le bdtard, Orestes fills in the
details. With neither father nor mother to form his identify, the
exiled prince of Argos is more technically a bdtard than his
predecessor, but his psychic characteristics are essentially the same
with only a slight twist. In many respects, Orestes' situation is the
negative of that of his "father" in the same way as a negative of a
photograph differs from the original. While Bariona remains distant
from humanity by being rooted in its suffering, Orestes seems to
float above other men, and far from being solidified through
over-identification with beliefs, Orestes has no beliefs, existing as he
does in an intellectual ivory tower. The Argosian prince, nonetheless,
has the same desire as his predecessor to gain entrance to the
collectivity through an act of his own-the murder of his mother and
stepfather. Through the undertaking of this act, Orestes is converted
into un homme engagd, but one senses that his engagement is less
authentic than that of Bariona. Whereas the former bdtard eventually
fights with his people, Orestes actually only fights for himself as his
decision to abandon Argos to search for his own being indicates.
Orestes' conversion is also "negative" in the respect that his
1 2 Bariona's "schizophrenia" is a symptom of an underlying split that exists in
Sartrean man in general and le bdtard in particular, for it is he who is most
conspicuously the product of two unsynthesized entities which, like oil and
water, do not mix. On the one hand, man possesses the qualities of en-soi in his
body, and on the other, he is capable of transcending his human condition
through the pour-soi of his consciousness. (See L'Etre et le Neant for a
definition of these terms.) One might gather that it is of significant importance
that this duality is concretely presented in Sartre's first dramatic presentation in
the personage of Christ, the epitome of spirit incarnated in flesh. Indeed, the
action of the play appears to take place on two levels so that Bariona, in a sense,
is a reflection of Christ himself, the idealized bdtard (see Le Diable, p. 113). This
conjecture is substantiated by the hero's projection of himself into the role of
savior and martyr, later to be played by Orestes and Goetz as well.

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 SARTRE'S BARIONA 1099

discovery of freedom lea

which Bariona has emer
know how to correct h
to lead the bdtard once a
It is the hero of Le Dia
physically and metaphy
Bariona. Goetz is fully
his statement ". . . je re
(p. 55) is reminiscent of
stable. While Bariona remains distant from humanity through
self-debasement and Orestes through self-glorification, Goetz experi-
ences both situations: ". . . monstre ou saint ... je voulais etre
inhumain ..." (p. 225). Goetz converts from Evil to Good, but his
true conversion comes only after his recognition that both of these
absolutes only mask the relativity of man based upon his freedom.
Much like Bariona, this bdtard immediately concretizes his change in
philosophy, in this case by first murdering Heinrich, the reflection of
his old self, then leading the peasants into battle with the same
flourish as his predecessor. Surrounded by the aura of grandeur
encompassing Bariona and most Sartrean heroes,1 he too joins a
crusade that will bring him almost certain death. On the whole,
Goetz, who has been said to embody more fully Sartre's concept of
engagement than any other Sartrean dramatic hero, inherits more of
Bariona's qualities than those of Orestes, once again pointing to the
inspirational force of the first play.
Although the role of le bdtard is central in Sartrean dramatic
works, his strong-minded and dynamic companion, whom H6lne
Nahas has called "la revoltee,"1 4 also holds an important position
there. Not only is she responsible for maintaining her own freedom,
she also, in many cases, guides her mate towards the path of
authenticity.'s La revoltee, as the term implies, must often strike
out on her own in order to establish her identity. Unfortunately,
while the hero usually reaches his destination, his counterpart
stumbles, falls and sometimes turns back. Just as Bariona is, we feel,

'3Hugo of Les Mains sales, Jean of L'Engrenage, Henri of Morts sans

sdpulture, Frantz of Les Sdquestrds d'Altona, Kean, and Nekrassov, in addition
to those heroes under study, all exhibit a strong sense of mission and a need to be
the center of attraction.
14 La Femme dans la litterature existentielle (Paris: PUF, 1957), p. 47.
15 According to Keith Gore, the women in Sartre's theater "seem to be more
lucid and down-to-earth than the male characters." "The Theater of Sartre:
1940-1965," Books Abroad, 41 (Spring, 1967) p. 149, n. 25.

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 1100 FRENCH REVIEW

the prototype of Sar

rebellion which her successors will follow. When she is ordered to
abort her much hoped-for child, Sarah strongly rebels against her
husband, accusing him of betrayal and rebuking him for his excessive
pride. At this stage, however, she is still afraid of him, standing
before him like "une esclave devant son Seigneur" (p. 583),
admitting that she owes him obedience. But upon hearing of the
birth of Christ, Sarah believes that her own child has a right to be
born, and she leaves Bariona in order to uphold that belief.
Nevertheless, the first rdvoltie's "liberation" is of short duration
in the end, she declares to Bariona her dependence upon him.
Until the shock of the murders which uncovers her hidden
weakness, Electra defies everyone in order to attain her goal of
vengeance. She insults her mother, disobeys her stepfather, and
dances before the gods at a sacred ceremony. But the self-willed
princess, although apparently more forceful than Sarah, recapitulates
to servility once her dream is realized. She, to no greater extent than
her predecessor, is capable of maintaining her independence and
accepting the burden of her freedom. Hilda of Le Diable, however, is
more successful. Although compromised somewhat by her love for
Goetz which tends to override her love for the peasants, it is she who
continually objects to his false gestures, to his utopia which
transforms men into sheep, and who reminds him that he must
assume the consequences for its destruction. Once a staunch
adversary of war, Hilda ultimately accepts the expediency of violence
for social change, and it is through her counsel that Goetz assumes
his role as leader of the revolutionary army. In Les Troyennes,
Cassandra declares her determination to kill the king responsible for
the massacre of her people while the queen of Troy, from her
opening statement to her last, resists domination at the hands of god
and man. Her strength of character was conceived in the womb of
Sarah, the original rdvoltie.
While le bdtard and la rdvoltie do not conform to the precepts of
society, "le salaud"'16 represents them. He feels himself to be
superior to the rest of humanity, regarding others as mere tools
devoid of the capacity for self-determination. Consequently, he is
self-righteous and condescending. This character is brilliantly
portrayed in Bariona by Lelius, Roman administrator, who views the
Jews as "de vrais sauvages" (pp. 568, 569 and 611), necessary means
1 6 The term is coined from La Nausde, "Le Livre de Poche" (Paris: Gallimard,
1956), pp. 118-36 describing the portrait gallery.

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 SARTRE'S BARIONA 1101

to attain a Roman end.

of his role of fonctionnaire romain,'7 even when it is within his
power to prevent Bariona from committing an act of infanticide
which he considers deplorable. When the Roman army determines to
carry out that same project, Lelius again becomes its accomplice
through passivity. Should he find himself in an awkward position
because of his role, as in the case of burdensome taxes, Lelius tries to
circumvent personal responsibility by declaring that he is only
carrying out orders. Thus, Sartre's salaud starts out on the wrong
foot by incarnating all of the qualities of mauvaise foi.
In Les Mouches, the celestial salaud, Jupiter, is emulated by his
terrestrial counterpart, Aegisthus. They both subjugate the Argosians
through their doctrine of humiliation and repentance so that these
people eventually are unable to lift a finger in defense of their own
dignity. To both of these guardians of order, Orestes poses a threat as
strong as that of Bariona to Roman domination. The presence of the
establishment pervades the action of Le Diable although the actual
roles played by its representatives are limited to only a handful of
barons and clergymen. But it is precisely against these adversaries
of the people that Goetz wages his war, and this war is what gives the
play its meaning. In this play, as well as in Bariona and Les Mouches,
one surmises that the salaud will lose the struggle. However, Les
Troyennes is much more pessimistic in this regard, for here he
appears to have the upper hand. Poseidon's speech which closes the
play gives the impression that man's fate has been sealed, regardless
of his free will, while the Greek conquerors have certain control over
the destiny of the helpless Trojan women. Talthybios, the Greek
soldier, is indirectly responsible for the death of Astyanax, but he,
like Lelius, blames his superiors in order to whitewash himself.
Despite the fifteen years separating Lelius from Talthybios, the latter
could have been the former's understudy, the only difference being
that the Greek's authority is never challenged by anyone like
Bariona.
The fourth character which Bariona introduces into Sartrean
theater is that of la dupe, the masses who allow themselves to be
controlled by the forces at play within society. The collectivity is
represented in the first play by la foule, le choeur, and les bergers,
and it is encountered again and again in each of the other three

'7 Lelius continuously refers to himself in this way, emphasizing the fixed
image he creates for his existence.

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 1102 FRENCH REVIEW

plays.' 8 Perhaps the

their willingness to
difficult problem of
Messiah, in Les Mouc
Cite du Soleil, and in
Regardless of sporadic
to enlighten the masses, they choose to remain in the dark. The
people of Sartre's last play, therefore, do not seem to progress
beyond the childish need for magic demonstrated by those in the
first.
All of Sartre's characters, whether they are playing the role of le
bdtard, la rdvoltie, le salaud or la dupe, appear to be involved in a
metaphysical quest for their own being which is deeply rooted in
liberty. For this reason, the Sartrean play is an intermingling of
variations upon the theme of man's efforts to maintain his integrity
despite the many obstacles that lay in wait for him. These obstacles
first present themselves in Bariona in the form of the physical world,
including man's body, other people who intrude upon his conscious-
ness, and the concept of God or absolute morality. Each of them is a
manifestation of the en-soi which threatens to engulf man's
transcendent pour-soi or freedom, transforming it into a viscuous
mass. It is in Bariona that these obstacles are first encountered, but
they reappear time and time again throughout Sartre's theater.
Bariona is first to recognize the limitations the human body
imposes upon mankind, and he will leave this awareness as a legacy
to his inheritors in the subsequent plays. He indeed speaks for them
all when he informs Sarah of the fate that awaits her unborn child:
". .. il va se former comme une crofite epaisse et noire autour d'une
petite conscience scandalisee qui demeurera la, prisonniere, au milieu
de la crofite, comme une larme" (p. 584). Whenever Sartre speaks of
the biological aspects of man, he generally does so with an intense
feeling of disgust. Electra is horrified by the touch of her own
mother: "Tous les soirs je sens vivre contre ma peau cette viande
chaude et goulue" (p. 101). For Goetz, Hilda is "un sac
d'excrements" (p. 116) while Hecuba defiles Helen with the ph
"Tate farineuse et peinte/et sale/tete a crachats! " (p. 105). Wh
deals with the physical side of human existence, Sartre often

' Even when not present physically in other plays, the collectivity is t
which gives meaning to the actions of the main characters. Kean must have his
audience, Frantz's tortures and Henri's stoicism must be measured against the
public good, etc.

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 SARTRE'S BARIONA 1103

to woman in some way,'" but the overwhelming influence of

en-soi is perhaps most evident in nature whose fecundity tends to
drown the ndant that is man in the plenitude of l'dtre. In Bariona,
Cai'phe senses the dangerous seduction of nature and struggles to
escape her suffocating embrace: "Mes narines debordent d'une odeur
enorme et suave, le parfum m'engloutit comme la mer ... Je suis
perdu au fond d'une autre vie comme au fond d'un puits, j'6touffe, je
suis noy6 de parfum" (p. 592). Later, Jupiter expresses most vividly
existential man's position in the world: "Tu n'es pas chez toi, intrus;
tu es dans le monde comme l'echarde dans la chair, comme le
braconnier dans la foret seigneuriale" (p. 179). In contrast to the
sickening sweetness of nature described in Bariona, Le Diable evokes
another smell: "La terre a des odeurs/ Le soleil s'est plaint au Bon
Dieu! / Seigneur, je veux m'6teindre./ J'en ai plein le dos de cette
pourriture" (p. 28). But whether Sartre uses the metaphors of syrup
or of excrement, his view of nature as the embodiment 'of viscosity
remains the same.
Sartre's rejection of the physical aspect of existence is perhap
most strong in his first play, for it is here that he demonstrat
explicitly his disapproval of the propagation of new matter in t
form of a child:

Femme, cet enfant que tu veux faire naftre c'est une nouvelle edition du
monde. Par lui les nuages et l'eau et le soleil et les maisons et la peine des
hommes existeront une fois de plus. Tu vas recreer le monde ...
Comprends-tu quelle enorme incongruite, quelle monstrueuse faute de tact
ce serait de tirer le monde rfite6 de nouveaux exemplaires? Faire un enfant
c'est approuver la creation du fond de son coeur, c'est dire ai Dieu qui nous
tourmente: "Seigneur, tout est bien et je vous rends grace d'avoir fait
I'univers." Veux-tu vraiment chanter cet hymne? Peux-tu prendre sur toi
de dire: si ce monde etait a refaire, je le referais tout juste comme il est?
... L'existence est une lepre affreuse qui nous ronge tous et nos parents
ont e6t coupables. Garde tes mains pures, Sarah, et puisses-tu dire au jour
de ta mort: je ne laisse personne apres moi pour perp6tuer la souffrance
humaine. (pp. 584-85)

What Bariona declares openly, other Sartrean plays do more subtly.

The infanticides planned in the first play are executed later by
Estelle in Huis Clos and by the Greek soldiers in Les Troyennes. On
'9 Generally women are not regarded highly in Sartre's works; this includes
Bariona as well in which most references to women are of a negative nature (see
pp. 567, 588, 598, 623). On this point, Gore conjectures that "Sartre, a man,
observing women from the outside, sees them more in terms of the en-soi than
could possibly be the case when it comes to men" (see n. 16).

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 1104 FRENCH REVIEW

the whole, the presenc

when they do make an appearance, they utter such distressful
phrases as "nous sommes tous honteux de grandir" in Les Mouches
(p. 123). Once again, a characteristic of Sartre's dramatic works finds
its source in Bariona.
If the physical world poses a problem for man, his relationshi
with other people presents an even greater one. According to Sartre
this relationship is based upon a conflict that originates with le
regard which has the power to transform him alternately into l'objet,
the thing, the body, that is looked at and judged, and le sujet, the
consciousness which judges others. As one might suspect, this duality
of objet versus sujet is simply another form of en-soi versus pour-soi.
Because man can never be totally "objectified" unless he is dead nor
totally "subjectified" unless he is God, his role in the social world, as
in the physical world, is never stabilized, and this causes him great
anxiety leading to conflict. The influence of le regard is first
apprehended in Bariona when the hero's planned destruction of
Christ is averted as a result of one look into the eyes of Joseph:
"Pour trouver le courage d'6teindre cette jeune vie entre mes doigts,
il n'aurait pas fallu l'apercevoir d'abord au fond des yeux de son
pere. Allons, je suis vaincu" (p. 620). Electra of Les Mouches is
mystified twice in much the same way. She describes the affection
she has developed for Orestes and how it has lessened her capacity
for hatred: " . . . je me suis prise a tes yeux" (p. 130). Later, the look
of the dead Aegisthus leads to the death of Electra's hatred
altogether and marks the commencement of the judgment that
awaits her. Hilda and Goetz begin to love each other after a long lo
is exchanged between them as implied in the stage direction "Ils
regardent fascines" (p. 157). Both Hecuba and Helen are aware of
what one glance can accomplish. When Menelaus calls his wayward
wife into his presence, Hecuba warns him not to look at her for if he
does, he will change his mind about taking retribution, and this is
precisely what occurs.
One way of eluding the power of le regard and thus the judgment
of others is to retreat into "objectivity" via an emphasis upon the
suffering of the body. This project is obviously masochistic in nature
for to become "objectified," one must renounce one's consciousness.
However, by assuming the qualities of a thing, one becomes
insensitive to the greater suffering produced as a consequence of
contact with the transcendent powers of others. This method of
liberating oneself from le regard is implemented by the hero and
heroine of the first play. Bariona demonstrates a masochistic

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 SARTRE'S BARIONA 1105

tendency through his self

blindness which prevents h
Balthazar compares Bariona
perfect example of "object
Bariona, tu ne seras plus qu
la route passent les carav
comme une borne dans son ressentiment" (p. 605). When he declares
that "Les jeux sont faits d'avance" (p. 583),2 " Bariona signs his own
death certificate in the same way as does Goetz through his
statement "je meurs au monde" (p. 205). Bariona's wife Sarah,
though more altruistic than her mate, is moving in the same direction
as he when she decides to become a martyr to save the Christ child:
"Seigneur je suis toutes les meres et je te dis: prends-moi,
torture-moi, creve-moi les yeux, arrache-moi les ongles, mais
sauve-le! " (p. 628).
In Les Mouches, the positions of hero and heroine are reversed;
Orestes chooses to expiate the crimes of Argos by accepting the
torments of the Erinnyes while Electra suffers only for herself. The
Erinnyes explanation of Electra's need for physical pain could easily
apply to Bariona as well: " . . . tu as besoin de souffrir dans ton corps
pour oublier les souffrances de ton ame" (p. 172). The people of
Argos had long participated in a process of self-debasement in order
to avoid their responsibility as "subjective," free individuals. It is
ironic that it is Electra who admonishes them for their complicity in
this regard, designating them "O bourreaux de vous-memes" (p.
126). Goetz's attempt to atone for the sins of Catherine is strikingly
parallel to the plea of Sarah written ten years earlier: "Donne-moi la
lipre, le cholera, la peste, mais sauve-la" (p. 164). His first encounter
with Heinrich is almost comical in its abundance of such masochistic
requests. Despite the humiliation Catherine suffers at the hands of
Goetz, she will not leave him, preferring to prostitute herself. Hilda
embodies a kind of universal suffering, thus multiplying her
"objectivity" a million fold: " . . . je souffre dans tous les corps, on
me frappe sur toutes les joues, je meurs de toutes les morts ... " (p.
158). Hecuba's experience is amazingly similar to that of Hilda: " ...
il n'est pas une douleur au monde qui ne soit mienne! " (p. 25).
Perhaps it is this fallen queen who also best analyzes the failure of
the attempt to "objectify" oneself as initiated by Bariona: "Je
voulais 6pouser la terre 6troitement / et me confondre avec / son

2 0 One might wonder if Sartre has coined the title for his scenario from these
words in Bariona.

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 1106 FRENCH REVIEW

inconscience inerte.
Nous ne pouvons rien
conscientes" (p. 59).
If the effort to avoid others by lowering oneself below eye level
proves unsuccessful, so does that to raise onself above it. This last
project is usually chosen by Sartre's hero who often sees himself as
somewhat of an absolute "subject" and thus, throws himself into a
Christlike role. From the outset, Bariona seems determined to decide
the fate of the world by destroying what he feels to be a false illusion
of hope. His policy of non-procreation is supposedly instituted for
his people as is his plan to murder Christ. Although his intentions
might be good, Bariona does not appear to realize that each man
must emancipate himself from the shackles of "bad faith." Following
the pattern cut out by his predecessor, Orestes uses the liberation of
the Argosians as an excuse to set himself up as a god. He, like
Bariona, makes the mistake of believing it is possible to act for others
instead of with them. He might say "C'est pour vous que j'ai tu6.
Pour vous" (p. 189), but his real motive is purely selfish, for by
remaining always beyond reach of his people, Orestes can never be
touched by them.2 1 Goetz also poses as a benevolent dictator whose
gestures do not become authentic acts. Karl, when he criticizes this
hero, criticizes Bariona also: "C'est un faux prophete, un supp^t du
Diable, celui qui dit: je ferai ce que je crois bon, dfit le monde en
perir" (p. 121).
There is one instant in which man does not feel threatened by le
regard and therefore, does not try to flee it. Through the authentic
generosity of love, in which each partner recognizes the "subjec-
tivity" of the other and does not judge him "objectively," there is a
possibility of salvation. However, in Sartrean theater, such generosity
is exceedingly tenuous, manifesting itself only in rare moments. One
such moment occurs in Bariona. As in all of Sartre's plays, the love
existing between the hero and heroine contains many pitfalls, in this
case the intrusion of a third party-the expected child. Bariona
states explicitly the origin of their conflict: "Je sais que tu m'aimes
et je sais aussi que tu aimes ton enfant futur plus que moi" (p. 631).
Nevertheless, husband and wife are ultimately reunited through their
espousal of a common cause, the welfare of the Christ child.
Furthermore, despite Sarah's having left him, Bariona forgives her,
realizing that she had as much right to her commitment as he to his:
"Le Christ t'appelait et tu as 6t6 vers lui par la route royale. Et moi

2 1 See Jeanson, p. 22, for further analysis of Orestes' motives.

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 SARTRE'S BARIONA 1107

j'ai suivi des chemins plu

retrouver" (p. 631).
Orestes and Electra are not so fortunate for they become divided
as a result of a common cause. Once Orestes realizes their goal,
Electra does not hesitate to calumniate him: "J'ai rev6 ce crime. Mais
toi, tu l'as commis, bourreau de ta propre mire" (p. 171). Brother
and sister then flee in opposite directions from each other, the one
into "subjectivity" and the other into "objectivity." Since love as
Sartre conceives it can only survive if it incorporates both
characteristics of man, this relationship is doomed to failure. In Le
Diable, Goetz and Hilda have difficulties also, but they are overcome.
Despite his continuous struggle to maintain his integrity, Goetz
admits that he seeks to be unified with Hilda in the same way as are
two superimposed circles: " ... je voudrais devenir toi en restant
moi-meme" (p. 182). Hilda's generosity is evident in her willingness
to love everything about Goetz, including his corporality, which for
Sartre is indeed generous: " ... l'on n'aime rien si l'on n'aime pas
tout" (p. 216). Goetz is cognizant that his companion is unable to
judge him any longer for love has blurred her vision: "Tu ne me vois
pas non plus: tu m'aimes" (p. 220). In addition to their sense of
responsibility for each other, this couple, like Bariona and Sarah,
engages itself in a fight for human dignity. Those who have singled
out the successful relationship of Hilda and Goetz as unique in
Sartre's theater, however, might do well to scrutinize more closely
that of Bariona and Sarah, for in the first play, one finds the same
generosity and the same mutual engagement of the later couple.
Aside from having to deal with nature and others, man must also
confront one more form of the en-soi if he is to create an authentic
and free existence for himself-the concept of God. This final
obstacle is encountered in Bariona where the hero's rebellion against
moral absolutism foreshadows the development of an existential
ethic in Sartre's theater which has at its core not God but man. At
first, Bariona asks for guidance from God, as will his successors.2
When Sarah implores him: "Et si pourtant c'etait la volont6 de Dieu
que nous engendrions? " he replies: "Alors qu'il fasse un signe a son
serviteur avant l'aube" (p. 585). Regardless of whether the sign
appears or not, Sartre's characters reject the guidance they once had
sought. The trend is set by Bariona whose denunciation of the
concept of God is most apparent subsequent to the announcement of

2 2 Cf. Les Mouches, p. 127 and pp. 137-38; Le Diable, p. 98, p. 104 and pp.
164-65; and Les Troyennes, p. 114.

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 1108 FRENCH REVIEW

the Messiah's birth: "L'Eternel m'aurait-il montr6 sa face entre les

nuages que je refuserais encore de l'entendre car je suis libre; et
contre un homme libre, Dieu lui-meme ne peut rien... il ne peut
rien contre ce pilier d'airain, contre cette colonne inflexible: la
libert6 de l'homme" (p. 599). Orestes later follows suit when he
rebuffs Jupiter: "A peine m'as-tu cr66 que j'ai cess6 de t'appartenir"
(p. 181). Goetz goes one step further by denying the existence of
God altogether: "Si Dieu existe, l'homme est neant; si l'homme
existe ... Dieu n'existe pas" (p. 228). Even Hecuba, who is helpless,
ultimately refuses to use the gods to soothe her suffering, but rather
accuses them for their "stupid injustice" (p. 121).
The themes of nature, others and God that are evident in Bariona
exist to one degree or another in all of Sartre's plays. It could not be
otherwise, for these themes are parts of the greater theme of liberty
which engrosses Sartre so much: "... l'6crivain, homme libre
s'adressant a des hommes libres, n'a qu'un seul sujet: la libert.,"2
Therefore when Bariona rebels "Contre les dieux, contre les hommes,
contre le monde" (p. 599) in order to safeguard his freedom, he sets
a precedent for Sartrean theater as a whole. So in addition to the
influences of source, structure and character apparent in Sartre's first
play, we must add that of theme. It is not to say that the later plays
do not evolve beyond this first stage of development. On the
contrary, Bariona might be compared to a child who will grow into
an adult without ever ceasing to bear the same basic characteristics.
Aside from holding the key that opens the stage door of Sartre's
theater, Bariona has an intrinsic value which, by itself, makes the
play deserving of closer attention than it has heretofore received. The
play's structure is tighter than that of many of its successors, its
subject is fascinating, its characters are clearly defined and
emotionally moving, and its themes, although in embryonic form, are
powerful. But most important of all, the direct impact Bariona had
upon its audience, and the bond it created between its creator and
his public is perhaps the strongest in Sartre's entire dramatic career.
Even he, who was most aware of the play's shortcomings, was led to
admit: "As I addressed my comrades across the footlights, speaking
to them of their state as prisoners, when I suddenly saw them so
remarkably silent and attentive, I realized what theatre ought to
be-a great collective, religious phenomenon" ("Forgers," p. 330).
Indeed, Sartre did speak to those prisoners, not only in his role as

2 3 Qu'est-ce que la litterature? (Paris: Gallimard, 1964), pp. 80-81.

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 SARTRE'S BARIONA 1109

playwright, but in his rol

as the montreur d'images
This degree of communication is nonexistent in the subsequent
plays, and it remains to be seen if Sartre will surpass the level of
engagement achieved, by his own admission, from the very
germination of his theater through Bariona.2 4

QUEENS COLLEGE
S4My gratitude goes to Dr. Yvette Louria of Queens College for her
encouragement in this undertaking.

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