Sado-Masochism and the Idea of Personal Hell

            Where is it that all of this strife gets the omegas? They end up in a hell created by their doubts and shortcomings. For Sartre, this hell is a very real possibility while Dostoevsky only puts his character in the hell of his mind. The omega is constantly aware of his shortcomings and low position in society, which is intensified by the longing to become equal in the eyes of the upper class. They want the benefits that the alphas receive from their status but are unable to rise above their self doubt to grasp those privileges for themselves. The Underground Man brings light to these desires by writing of those feelings, “I knew that they had been swarming in me all my life and craving some outlet from me, but I would not let them…They tormented me till I was ashamed: they drove me to convulsions and—sickened me” (Dostoevsky, 2). For the characters in No Exit this idea of personal hell created through submitting to the will of others is far more concrete because they are actually in hell throughout the play. Their hell is others (Sartre, 45). “The underground life is more advantageous…Oh, but even now I am lying! I am lying because I know myself that it is not the underground that is better,” (Dostoevsky, 25-26) the Underground Man proclaims, the underground seemingly where he places the exact location of his hell rather than labeling it correctly in his mind. All have a chance to escape this psychological prison, but the presence of other people has chained them there, they have become slaves to the interactions of society. Instead of nurturing their independence, they cling to their efforts to find a fitting place for them in the world.

            Alphas, though one may not think it, are also engulfed by a hellish state at times. Inez says herself to Estelle, “I’m always conscious of myself—in my mind. Painfully conscious.” (Sartre, 19). Even the sadistic become unsure of themselves around others, which leads them on a self-destructive thought process of doubting their own elite status. Granted, compared to the hell endured by the omegas this may seem a fair trade, but suffering is suffering any way it’s encountered. In a state of egotistical superiority, the Underground Man is still very conscious of his shortcomings as well, “in that acutely recognized and yet partly doubtful hopelessness of one’s position, in that hell of unsatisfied desires turned inward, in that fever of oscillations” (Dostoevsky, 7) is where he remains even in his feigned confidence. Practically every time an alpha encounters a new person, they must look inward as they look outward at their rival, struggling to find their social hierarchy as quickly as they can. With every new face brings the uncertainty of remaining in their current comfortable position, because they are forced to reckon with other alpha personalities on a continual basis.

            So, one can conclude that because of the countless people humans must encounter in their lives, they are in a constant state of fluctuation in reference to their individual status. It is hard for one to cope with being excluded from society and most have a strong wish for respect and power in their lives. When everyone has such a desire it creates inner conflict as one tries to obtain what they want, while also inciting conflicts with others trying to reach the same goal. People constantly cause themselves and others pain by what are perceived as simple interactions and accidents, but if one looks closer it is easy to see where this viciousness stems from and process that will cause it to repeat itself.