39 Non – reflective consciousness is consciousness of human being in his
daily life. Sartre says that the consciousness of human being in action is non –
reflective consciousness. There is no I in this consciousness.
The example of non – reflective consciousness is like what the old man says in Act 2. The old man says, “Its six oclock in the evening. It is dark already.
It wasnt like this before. Surely you remember, there was still daylight at nine oclock in the evening, at ten oclock, at midnight.” The object is not the old man.
Something which is in his consciousness is those objects; such as evening, midnight, the day, Semiramis or the daylight. Thus, there is no I or the old man
itself in his action.
2. Freedom
Freedom is the other key word for Sartre’s existentialism. In this absurd world, which means there is no meaning, human being realizes that he has
freedom; however, freedom is not the character of human being, but freedom is human being itself. Human being is the only being which his existence precedes
his essence. Then, it is definitely related to consciousness. Human being is conscious toward his freedom to create himself and gives himself the meaning. It
can be called the subjectivity. These all are in the old man. Freedom is not the characteristics of the old man, but freedom is the old
man itself. The old man is the human who has the essence for his life and has freedom to make what he will be. It shows through what he chooses.
OLD WOMAN : Around, around, my little pet. [Silence.] Ah yes,
youve certainly a fine intellect. You are very gifted, my darling. You could have been head president,
40 head king, or even head doctor, or head general, if
you had wanted to, if only youd had a little ambition in life…
OLD MAN : What good would that have done us? Wed not
have lived any better. ..and besides, we have a position here. I am a general, in any case, of the
house, since I am the general factotum. Act 2:2
The old woman says that the old man can be more than a general factotum; such as head king or head president. However, the old man feels comfortable to be
general factotum. Through this way, the old man is free to define himself. Anyone can make the old man to be, only the old man can.
Human being is what he is not. He is never is. The guest can interpret if the young old man was infantile or if the old old man is irresponsible because he
is still alive. Hence, he will always be something different depending what he
chooses. The example before shows the young old man was and the old old man
is. However, it ends up when the old dies in the end of the story. The guest can interpret if the old man is absurd finally. He cannot be the other. He is what he is
because he dies after throwing himself out. He does not have the freedom again to take the chance to choose. As long as he lives, he has a liberty right to choose.
However, he dies in the end. Therefore, he does not have freedom at all. Human being is condemned to be free. The freedom to choose what to be
brings human being to face the anxiety or anguish. Every single decision human being chooses, it takes the anxiety and suffering to him. It shows in the old man’s
life. When the old man was young, he faced two choices whether he went to dance or he accompanied his mom.
OLD MAN : I let my mother die alone in a ditch. She called after
me, moaning feebly: “My little child, my beloved son,
41 don’t leave me to die all alone…Stay with me. I don’t
have much time left.” Don’t worry, Mamma, I told her, I’ll be back in a moment….I was in a hurry… I was
going to the ball, to dance. I will be back in a minute. But when I returned, she was already dead, and they
had buried her deep… I broke open the grave, I searched for her.. I couldn’t find her. Act 14: 13
The choice is that he chose to go dancing. The effect is that his mom passed away. The passing away of his mom is the anxiety, anguish, and suffering. Those are
haunting the old man so that he is suffering. Moreover, not to choose is also the choice. It can be seen in Act 14, when the old man’s son goes. It is the time when
his son is angry and goes, but the old man is only weeping. His son goes and never comes back. He does not try to hold his son go. This is the proof if not to
choose is also the choice where there are also anxiety, anguish, and suffering. The other evidence of freedom is shown through how the old man plays
with the chairs. As the analysis in part Consciousness before, the old man chooses to bring the chairs out of the room. The using of the chairs is to sit all of the
guests. The old man is free to not choose the chairs to stay still in the room as meaningless chairs or as things only to make the interior beautiful.
However, once again, human being is condemned to be free; and human being lives in the absurd world. As long as he is alive, he always creates himself
through every choice of freedom. As Sartre says if anguish then is the reflective apprehension of freedom by itself. Hence, in every choice human being takes,
there is anguish, but there is also how a world is created.
42
3. Responsibility
