Nausea Summary
Description
Here you will find a Nausea summary (Jean-Paul Sartre's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.
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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024
Chapters Nausea Summary Overview
Antoine Roquentin, a resident historian in the French town of Bouville, commences a journal in an attempt to comprehend the unnerving and sickly feelings that have haunted him lately. He is unclear about the nature of his affliction and contemplates the necessity of the diary itself. However, he soon finds himself consumed by what he coins as Nausea, prompting him to meticulously record every minor fact, sensation, and interaction, both internal and external. He attempts to interact with mundane objects - holding a stone, inspecting a beer glass, trying to touch a damp scrap of paper - each experience intensifies his sensation of an ominous and smothering presence. For a decade, Roquentin has been deeply immersed in investigating the life of the Marquis de Rollebon, a French nobleman who lived during the French Revolution. Roquentin relocated to Bouville, Rollebon’s hometown, to facilitate his research and write a book on him. Yet, his feelings of Nausea invade his research, blurring his own identity with Rollebon’s whenever he catches his reflection. His interest in his work wanes due to the realization that he will never truly comprehend Rollebon. He feels suffocated by his obsession with the past and decides to focus on living in the present. Roquentin soon realizes that his Nausea is linked to existential concerns. He acknowledges that he allowed his research into Rollebon and his obsession with the past to validate his own existence. Roquentin boldly affirms his existence, believing that others are too fearful to acknowledge their own. His attention is drawn to the existence of objects and people, leading to the insight that existence precedes essence. He grasps that his perception of the physical attributes of things, the essence, obscures the naked existence of those things: that the pleasant illusions of tastes, colors, and appearances are creations of the observer. This revelation brings him face to face with the stark existence of things, thus revealing the source of his Nausea. Upon visiting his former lover Anny in Paris, Roquentin is disheartened to find they can no longer communicate effectively. Despite his attempts to explain his feelings of Nausea to Anny, she fails to comprehend. They part ways, aware that they will never see each other again. Back in Bouville, Roquentin decides to liberate himself from the past by embracing his existence in the present. He tries to convey his newfound perspective to a café acquaintance, the Self-Taught Man, but is unable to convince him that human love is merely an essence, that existence has no purpose beyond "nothingness." In spite of his despair and his decision to abandon his research, Roquentin elects to move to Paris and write a novel.
section 1
The book starts with an "Editors' Note" which explains that the subsequent story was found in Antoine Roquentin's personal documents. The collection of pages read like a diary, which Roquentin started in 1932 after he arrived back from his travels in the Far East, Central Europe, and North Africa, and relocated to the coastal town of Bouville to pen a book on the Marquis de Rollebon. Roquentin's early entries reveal his intention to use the diary to understand a shift he feels in his perception of objects, the nature of which he struggles to identify. He remembers feeling unsettled when holding a stone recently, unsure if the discomfort originated from the stone or him. He is careful to avoid overstating his experiences in the journal and quickly dismisses his peculiar feelings as temporary insanity, considering an end to his diary-keeping. However, the following entry dated January 29, 1932, has Roquentin acknowledging a continuous sense of discomfort surrounding people and objects. He initially hopes that it's an "abstract change," but starts to fear that he is gradually transforming. He reflects on his impulsive decision to leave Vietnam and return to France, anxious that it was an early sign of his current mental state. The subsequent day, Roquentin concedes that his seclusion has altered him, noting that his solitude has lead to a lack of friends and communication. Soul-searching yields no answers, and even his intimate encounters with Francoise, a local barmaid, lack conversation. He feels that he is combating "a certain nostalgia" rather than enjoying the act. Despite this, he recognizes that something new is happening to him. Seeing everyday items like a beer glass or a wet scrap of paper in the street triggers a desire to touch them but he can't, which makes him feel trapped. His unease is reminiscent of the "nausea of the hands" he felt when holding the stone. In an attempt to distract himself, Roquentin throws himself into researching Marquis de Rollebon, a puzzling nobleman from the French Revolution era. However, he soon finds his research dull. A decade ago, the Marquis' story fascinated him, but now it feels like pure speculation that doesn't reflect the real Marquis. His work leads him back to his growing disgust for the external world, particularly the altering appearances of objects in sunlight. His self-reflections are unsettling as well - he doesn't recognize his own reflection.
section 2
Roquentin's odd sensations around people and objects, which he labels as "Nausea," now also strike him in his preferred coffee shop, not just when he's alone or strolling the streets. His anxiety peaks as he no longer identifies individuals, but only perceives body parts such as hands, hair, and "enormous nostrils." He feels nauseous and attempts to balance himself, particularly repulsed by the bartender's shifting purple suspenders. As a means to soothe himself, he requests a barmaid to play a beloved ragtime number, "Some of these days." Worried it won't help pass time, he muses over the notion of time being "too large" to fill completely, as each music note is born and dies simultaneously. He realizes he must accept and "will" their deaths, and even though he knows the song by heart, the lyrics' arrival makes the Nausea disappear. He notes the melody "crushes" real-world time, immersing him in the music. Once the song concludes, Roquentin is unsure of his next move. He contemplates watching a movie but ends up roaming the streets, drawn to darkness and what he dubs a "black hole." The dark streets of Bouville at night hold an inexplicable appeal. He feels at ease in the dark as the Nausea only strikes in light. The following day, he distracts himself from the Nausea by alternating between reading Balzac's Eugenie Grandet and studying Rollebon. He encounters the Self-Taught Man in the library, who believes he can learn everything by reading all of Bouville library's books in alphabetical order. Roquentin finds him monotonous, but out of sheer loneliness, they spend considerable time together. The Self-Taught Man admires Roquentin's adventurous spirit, but for Roquentin, this obsession with adventure is a futile effort to "catch time by the tail." He can't relive his past escapades in the Far East and therefore feels "forsaken in the present."
section 3
Roquentin's pursuit to understand the Marquis de Rollebon through his research comes to a halt. The lies Rollebon used to weave in his letters, which Roquentin once enjoyed, now feel personal, making him question his quest to uncover truth about Rollebon. He starts doubting the feasibility of understanding the past and feels disillusioned by his own interpretation of Rollebon. Roquentin's focus shifts towards women. He attempts to make advances towards Francoise in a cafe, but is repulsed by the thought of intimacy. Overwhelmed by nausea and dreadful images, he receives a letter from Anny, his past lover. She requests to meet him in Paris. Despite their past communication woes, he gets excited, however, also realizes the power of choice he has: to meet her or not. He admits feeling burdened by this responsibility. Recalling memories of Anny, he discerns he can't accurately remember her. He believes the past is non-existent, replaced by a void. He finds the idea of learning from past or present futile as people tend to distort current events and individuals by comparing them to an irrelevant past. He decides to liberate himself from the meaningless past and understand objects and individuals independently. Roquentin acknowledges his anxiety over existentialism. While strolling in the Bouville museum, he is surrounded by numerous portraits. He interprets these portraits as fear of death, using past experiences to give life meaning. He, however, concludes that the past is pointless as death is inevitable and there's no point in evading it.
section 4
Roquentin stops studying Rollebon, leading him to realize the non-existence of the past and the reality of only the present. His past investigations into Rollebon's life were merely a diversion from existence, and his memories of this period have become hollow. He acknowledges that his writings about Rollebon were purely imaginative and more apt for a fictional tale. Roquentin's enlightened perception of existence puts him at odds with society. Observing others in a café, he is repulsed by their mechanical conduct which he sees as a disguise for the absurdity of life. His self-awareness incites a passionate dispute with the Self-Taught Man regarding humanism. The latter argues that man's love for his fellow man justifies all rational behavior and proclaims himself a socialist. Roquentin, however, ridicules him for cherishing abstract notions that have no reality. Roquentin and the Self-Taught Man part on bad terms as Roquentin is overwhelmed by Nausea. Fearful of physical contact, he is startled by the crude feel of a knife's handle. He then comprehends the true nature of Nausea - his fear of existence. His breakthrough comes when he observes a chestnut tree root, realizing that existence is often masked by attributes or essence and that these essences are non-existent. Roquentin finally comprehends that the discomfort of his Nausea stems from the unreal elements of colors, tastes, and smells. He also identifies "contingency" as a cause for his feelings of Nausea. He believes that humans assign attributes to objects to justify their existence. However, he asserts that there is no inherent reason for something's existence, it's merely coincidental. As human existence is unpredictable, Roquentin concludes that existence has no purpose and is merely an unexplainable phenomenon.
section 5
After halting his study of the Rollebon archives, Roquentin decides to leave Bouville. He aims to visit his former lover, Anny, in Paris, hoping to rekindle their relationship and discuss his existential crisis. He anticipates a new chapter in his life as he waits for his train. The meeting with Anny is uncomfortable and leaves him disillusioned; she has aged and her lifestyle as a mistress to many men surprises him. He struggles to understand her, especially when she humorously points out his awkwardness. Anny tells him he's like a landmark to her, a constant in her life that helps her measure her own changes. Discussions about their past leave Roquentin feeling lost due to his foggy memories, whereas Anny has a sharp recall. Anny is fixated on the past, often quoting plays and studying French history. While reminiscing about "perfect moments," she admits she can't replicate emotions from the past. Roquentin feels they share similar philosophical views on time and existence. However, when he talks about his existential nausea and the concept that existence comes before essence, Anny disagrees. She asks him to leave, and he complies. Back in Bouville and preparing for his permanent return to Paris, he mourns his failed reunion with Anny. Despite his loneliness, he finds solace in his newfound existential awareness. He intends to bid farewell to the Self-Taught Man, but after witnessing him behaving inappropriately with a child, he refrains. Roquentin revisits his old cafe, requesting his favourite record, "Some of these days." As he listens repeatedly, he decides to write a novel unrelated to existentialism. He hopes this will help him understand his past and prevent him from looking back with repulsion.
