Thinking Outside the Box

Compare how Plato and Sartre describe the limitations of our thinking and imply solutions to the problem.  Be sure to analyze their literary techniques, especially their use of allegory and extended metaphor.
In both "Allegory of the Cave" and "No Exit", Plato and Sartre describe the mental limitations humans have and how our thoughts are restricted. Plato believed that we should break free of our "shackles" and release our thoughts, but on the other hand Sartre had different ideas. He thought that if we keep our thoughts suppressed then we would avoid our own hell. Both of these authors use allegories and extended metaphors to deliver their ideas on how we think.

Self titled "Allegory of the Cave" uses the cave as an allegory. Plato made it clear that the cave was like the lack of knowledge that we as people have because we don't stretch our thoughts and therefore don't get the true reality of life. Plato has characters that are metaphorically "locked" up because they don't actually know what is real and never try to break free for whatever reasons, fear or lack of interest, who knows.

Sartre strongly believed in existentialism, why we exist basically. He thought that humans could could go as far as their mental restrictions go, and no farther because then we would create our own personal hell. The room in "No Exit" was representative of what each character feared and was their "hell".