Saint Genet: Actor and Martyr - Jean-Paul Sartre

Summary

Saint Genet: Actor and Martyr (original French title: Saint Genet, comédien et martyr) is a profound and exhaustive existential psychoanalysis by Jean-Paul Sartre on the life and work of the French writer Jean Genet. It is not a conventional biography but a philosophical investigation into how Genet, through a series of formative experiences and choices, transformed himself from an orphan labeled a thief into a self-proclaimed "saint of evil" and a celebrated artist. Sartre meticulously dissects Genet's life from childhood abandonment and the crucial moment he was "named" a thief, exploring how Genet embraced this imposed identity, inverted conventional morality, and achieved a unique form of freedom and authenticity through his art, rebellion, and the systematic embrace of what society deems abject or evil. The book argues that Genet's literary creation is an act of self-justification and a profound assertion of his being against a world that condemned him.

Book Sections

Section 1: The Child and the "Thief"

Sartre begins by examining Genet's early life as an abandoned child, his experiences in foster care, and eventually the reformatory. The pivotal moment is identified when, at the age of ten, Genet is caught stealing and is confronted with the accusation: "You are a thief." Sartre argues that this label, external and imposed by the "Good" people, was not just a description of an act but an ontological decree that defined his very being. Genet, initially confused and shamed, eventually internalizes this judgment. Instead of denying it, he chooses to embrace it fully. This act of acceptance is not resignation but an initial, albeit unconscious, step towards freedom: if he is condemned to be a thief, he will choose to be the most authentic thief possible. This section lays the groundwork for Genet's entire trajectory, showing how an external condemnation becomes the raw material for a deliberate self-creation.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Jean Genet	An abandoned child, sensitive, intelligent, initially seeking acceptance. Later, a defiant outcast, embracing the label of "thief" and "evil." Becomes a celebrated writer and a figure of existential freedom.	To find his identity, to rebel against societal norms that condemned him, to achieve authenticity through the systematic inversion of values, to transcend his abject condition through art.

Section 2: The Choice of Evil

Building on the initial acceptance of the "thief" label, Sartre explores how Genet consciously and systematically chose evil as his path to existence. Society's "Good" defined him as "Evil," so Genet decided to live fully within that definition, making his actions a direct negation of bourgeois morality. This was not merely rebellion but a quest for an inverted sacredness. By embracing treason, theft, and homosexuality—actions condemned by society—Genet sought to affirm his being outside of the gaze and judgment of the "Good." Sartre posits that Genet's chosen evil is a form of authenticity, a radical freedom found in a world where he was already condemned. He deliberately sought out degrading experiences and associations with criminals and outcasts, viewing them as a brotherhood of the damned, where a new kind of honor and truth could be found.

Section 3: Homosexuality and the Sacred

Sartre delves into Genet's homosexuality, not just as a sexual preference but as another crucial dimension of his chosen existence as an outcast. For Genet, homosexuality, particularly its more abject and criminalized aspects, became a sacred space where the ordinary rules of society were suspended. It was a further alienation from "normal" society and a deeper immersion into his self-chosen world of the condemned. Sartre analyzes how Genet's relationships, often with rougher men and criminals, were attempts to experience a profound, almost mystical degradation that, paradoxically, brought him closer to a form of sainthood. By accepting the stigma and debasement associated with his sexual identity, Genet further solidified his rejection of conventional values and continued his project of creating an inverted spiritual realm.

Section 4: The Artist and the Word

This section focuses on Genet's transition from criminal to writer. Sartre argues that writing was not an escape from his condition but its ultimate fulfillment. Through his plays and novels, Genet transformed his lived experiences of crime, degradation, and homosexuality into works of art. The act of writing became a way for him to reclaim his narrative, to testify to his unique existence, and to impose his reality on the world that had previously condemned him. By aestheticizing his suffering and "evil," Genet achieved a form of transcendence. He used language to create a universe where his inverted values held sway, where the criminal could be noble, the traitor heroic, and the outcast sacred. His writing allowed him to be both the actor (the criminal) and the martyr (the saint), fulfilling the paradox of his chosen identity.

Section 5: The Saint of Evil

In the concluding sections, Sartre culminates his analysis by declaring Genet a "saint." This is not a traditional religious sainthood but an existential one. Genet becomes a saint of evil because he has gone to the absolute limit of his chosen path, embracing every condemnation and transforming it into a source of power and creation. He has lived out his destiny fully, demonstrating radical freedom through absolute commitment to an inverted morality. Sartre argues that Genet eventually moves beyond mere negation and rebellion. Having fully embraced and exhausted the path of evil, he achieves a state of indifference and liberation. Through his art, he has transcended his initial condition and the very labels that defined him, becoming an authentic being who has made himself from nothing, facing his freedom and responsibility directly.

Genre

Existentialist philosophy, literary criticism, psychoanalytic biography, essay.

Author Data

Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, political activist, and literary critic. He was a leading figure in 20th-century French philosophy, particularly in existentialism and phenomenology. His most famous works include Being and Nothingness (a seminal work of existentialism), Nausea (a novel), and No Exit (a play). Sartre was deeply involved in political activism, supporting causes like Algerian independence and the Cuban Revolution. He famously refused the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964, stating that a writer should not allow himself to be transformed into an institution.

Morale

The central "morale" or lesson of Saint Genet is about the radical freedom and responsibility of human beings to define themselves, even in the face of imposed labels and societal condemnation. It suggests that individuals can choose their being and transcend their circumstances through conscious decision and creative action, even if that means embracing an inverted morality or turning "evil" into a form of authenticity. The book emphasizes the power of choice, the construction of identity, and the potential for transcendence through art, regardless of one's initial condition or the world's judgment.

Curiosities

• Saint Genet is an extraordinarily dense and lengthy work, spanning nearly 600 pages, reflecting Sartre's meticulous and exhaustive approach to his subject.
• Sartre considered this book to be one of his most important philosophical works, viewing it as a practical application of the existentialist theories he developed in Being and Nothingness.
• The publication of Saint Genet in 1952 effectively launched Jean Genet's literary career and cemented his reputation as a significant writer, giving him a philosophical legitimacy he might not have otherwise achieved.
• Sartre dedicated several years to writing the book, immersing himself completely in Genet's life and writings.
• The work explores complex themes central to existentialism, such as authenticity, "bad faith," the gaze of the other, freedom, responsibility, and the nature of self-creation.
• It's considered a foundational text not only for understanding Genet's oeuvre but also for grasping the practical implications of Sartre's existential philosophy.