Similarities Between Selfishness And Martin Luther King

Yuliana Havryshchuk
Mrs. Nayyar
ENG 4U
31 October 2012
Selfishness: The Road to Damnation
One cannot attain an authentic and fulfilling life by living selfishly. Estelle Rigault of Sartre’s No Exit, and Martin Luther King make very different decisions throughout their lives, which lead to opposite degrees of authenticity. Altruistic values, means of achieving what they desire, and motives behind the manipulation of others are what sets the two apart and determines how fulfilling their lives are. Estelle’s selfishness is demonstrated through her relationships on earth. She marries an older man for the riches he has. When she discovers that she is pregnant from her lover, Roger, she kills the baby, thus causing Roger to kill himself. She explains, “It pleased him no
end, having a daughter. It didn 't please me!...He saw it all... and he did as he wished…I’m a coward. A coward!” (Sartre 28). Estelle finally acknowledges her part in Roger’s death by admitting that she is a coward. Feeling weak is neither authentic, nor fulfilling. Therefore, Estelle’s egotism is what prevents her from living a satisfying life. The way Estelle goes about accomplishing what she wants also leads to her suffering. Throughout the play, she is tortured by Inez, who interferes with her relationship with Garcin. To solve the problem, Estelle attempts to murder Inez: “Right! In that case, I 'll stop her watching. (She picks up the paper knife and stabs Inez several times)” (Sartre 45). Estelle does what she desires without thinking about how it might affect others. This leads to an unfulfilling life because she simply continues the cycle of torture and emotional suffering. Estelle’s selfishness is finally demonstrated when she lies to Garcin about his cowardice:
ESTELLE. You haven 't a coward 's chin, or a coward 's mouth, or a coward 's voice, or a coward 's hair…
INEZ.
She 'd assure you you were God Almighty if she thought it would give you pleasure (Sartre 40).
Estelle is manipulating Garcin to make him fall in love with her. Her selfishness backfires when Inez reveals the truth to Garcin. He states, “You disgust me” (Sartre 40). Had Estelle truly cared about Garcin, she would not have had to lie, and face the consequences of him finding out.
While Estelle’s selfishness leads to an inauthentic and unfulfilling life, Martin Luther King’s selflessness does the opposite. His altruism is evident when he stands up for others who are being treated unjustly, even though he personally is not affected. In his letter from Birmingham jail he writes, “Just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Greco-Roman world, I too… must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid” (King 1). It is because of King’s selflessness that he leads a fulfilling life. He changes the lives of African Americans for the better, and continues to be an inspiration to millions. His altruistic qualities contrast the non-existent ones of Estelle.
Estelle’s only achievements are the murder of her daughter, and the suicide of her lover. King constantly attempts to bring truth to the surface, while Estelle lives a life of deception. Another way in which King demonstrates his selflessness is through the methods he uses to achieve his goals. His fight against racism strictly uses non-violent direct action. His letter states, “I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth” (King 3). Although using violence would bring light to the issue much sooner, King’s selfless nature opposes it. Achieving his goals while abiding by his morals is what makes King’s life authentic and fulfilling. This is very different from Estelle, who simply wishes to eliminate anybody who crosses her, such as her own daughter, as well as Inez. Even being in hell is evidence that Estelle does not live an authentic life. Although manipulation is often depicted as negative, it means to negotiate, control, or influence. Martin Luther King uses manipulation to get his positive message across. In his letter, he states, “You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping "order" and "preventing violence”… I don 't believe you would so quickly commend the policemen if you would observe their ugly and inhuman treatment of Negroes” (King 11). He plays on the ignorance of the clergymen, and leads their minds to the issue that he wants them to focus on. King does not do this to benefit himself; his goal is to benefit the country. In doing so, King continues to live an authentic life. When Estelle manipulates Garcin, however, she does it solely to benefit herself. This is the negative form of manipulation. She lives neither an authentic, nor fulfilling life. Thus, it is evident that the type of life one lives depends on whom they are living it for. If living as Estelle does; selfishly, using immoral means to achieve goals, and having negative motives, authenticity cannot be achieved. If leading an altruistic lifestyle, like Martin Luther King, by putting others before oneself, using ethical means to achieve ambitions, and creating objectives based on the greater good, one’s life will be fulfilling and authentic.

Works Cited King, Martin Luther, Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” 1963. Sartre, Jean-Paul. No Exit. New York: Vintage Books International, 1989. Print.