Inez’s Cousin Character Analysis

Inez’s cousin is married to Florence, whom Inez seduces. After Inez finally convinces Florence to leave this man, he gets hit by a tram and dies. Although Inez doesn’t clarify the circumstances of her cousin’s death, she subtly suggests that he was a heavy drinker, which might mean he got drunk after Florence left him and wandered in front of the tram.

Inez’s Cousin Quotes in No Exit

The No Exit quotes below are all either spoken by Inez’s Cousin or refer to Inez’s Cousin. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Human Interaction, Control, and Sense of Self Theme Icon
).

No Exit Quotes

When I say I’m cruel, I mean I can’t get on without making people suffer. Like a live coal. A live coal in others’ hearts. When I’m alone I flicker out. For six months I flamed away in her heart, till there was nothing but a cinder. One night she got up and turned on the gas while I was asleep. Then she crept back into bed. So now you know.

Related Characters: Inez Serrano (speaker), Joseph Garcin, Estelle Rigault, Florence, Inez’s Cousin
Page Number and Citation: 26
Explanation and Analysis:
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Inez’s Cousin Character Timeline in No Exit

The timeline below shows where the character Inez’s Cousin appears in No Exit. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
No Exit
Human Interaction, Control, and Sense of Self Theme Icon
Empathy vs. Selfishness Theme Icon
...Inez to tell her story, so she explains that she moved in with her heavy-drinking cousin and seduced his wife, Florence. “I crept inside her skin,” she says, “she saw the... (full context)
Human Interaction, Control, and Sense of Self Theme Icon
Empathy vs. Selfishness Theme Icon
Inez says that she used to tell Florence that they killed her husband (Inez’s cousin) together. “I’m rather cruel, really,” she says, and when Garcin says that he is, too,... (full context)