Two Plays: The Respectable Prostitute & Lucifer and the Lord

by Jean-Paul Sartre, Kitty Black (Translator), Geoffrey Brereton (Introduction)

Two The Respectable Prostitute; Lucifer and The (Penguin Plays No. PL60)

Genres: Plays, Literature

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. Sartre was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology). His work has influenced sociology, critical theory, post-colonial theory, and literary studies. He was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature despite attempting to refuse it, saying that he always declined official honors and that "a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution."
Sartre held an open relationship with prominent feminist and fellow existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. Together, Sartre and de Beauvoir challenged the cultural and social assumptions and expectations of their upbringings, which they considered bourgeois, in both lifestyles and thought. The conflict between oppressive, spiritually destructive conformity (mauvaise foi, literally, 'bad faith') and an "authentic" way of "being" became the dominant theme of Sartre's early work, a theme embodied in his principal philosophical work Being and Nothingness (L'Être et le Néant, 1943). Sartre's introduction to his philosophy is his work Existentialism Is a Humanism (L'existentialisme est un humanisme, 1946), originally presented as a lecture.

Reviews

[Sebastían Kristinsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Respectable Prostitute is a harsh, uncomfortable play that deals with issues of race and gender back-to-back. It stars a white prostitute, and features an African-American and a slew of white men, each more vile than the last. In true Sartre fashion, our protagonist finds themselves in an impossible situation, an oppressive, cruel world forcing difficulties and dread on her to which she can barely respond. It is a deeply disturbing play, its short length sufficient to completely break the reader or viewer; in short, a powerful, moving experience.

Lucifer and the Lord, meanwhile, is a small epic, spanning the course of a year. An entirely different work, it takes a detailed look at good and evil, and what they mean in a person's life. It is a less compact play than The Respectable Prostitute, exploring the consequences of decisions over vast amounts of time. An intriguing character arc and enjoyable artistic development thereof make for a fun play, although big and obvious monologues draw a bit from its power. Additionally, the ambiguous nature of good and evil throughout makes for a fascinating character piece and dramatic moments, but ultimately boils down to Sartre's usual brand of existentialism wherein there are no easy answers and sometimes none at all--we are doomed to fail whatever happens, and he has said as much far more elegantly before. It is still a stylistic tour de force, with character progression and drama among the best of them, but the whole could be more consistent.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Respectable Prostitute ... 2.5/5

Upon first reading this short work is a stock exploration of race in the American deep-South - in a similar vein as Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. It remains so upon second reading, but its terseness (the entire play is over in 30 pages) and gut-punch finale make it worth committing your lunch hour to.

Lucifer and the Lord ... 3.5/5

Much more grand in the scope of its plot than the first play in this collection. The price paid is that, unfortunately, my emotional engagement with a few focal characters began to waver in Act 2. Sartre's outstanding(ly French) style of dialogue saved me from realising this until far into Act 3. More ambitious too is the thematic analysis conducted. The moral dilemma that is surveyed here is studied with Sartre's trademark existentialism, revealing the futility of the concepts good and evil in a world of shaky divine/ecclesiastical foundations.

Total ... 3/5

[Alec Downie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up after reading a quote and forgot haw brilliant a writer Sartre is.

[Eli Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucifer on the Lord is a great art.

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good plays, i think better in some ways than some of his more famous ones

[Kürşat Karabulut · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadece ilk oyunu okudum. İnsan ve grup psikolojisini iyi analiz etmiş. The Respectable Prostitute aslında çok da respectable değil. Oyunun sonuna doğru yaptığı seçimlerden bunu görüyoruz. Başlık neden böyle anlam veremedim.