Critically Analyze the Character of Antoine Roquentin in “Nausea”.
Nausea is a notable literary work by Jean-Paul Sartre. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Nausea.
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Critically analyse the character of Antoine Roquentin in ‘Nausea’. [2016]
Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980), in his “Nausea” (1938), presents Antoine Roquentin as one of the most powerful existential characters in modern literature. Through him, Sartre shows man’s struggle to understand his own existence. Roquentin is intelligent, lonely, and deeply aware of life’s meaninglessness. His thoughts and experiences reveal the pain of self-awareness and the search for freedom. He becomes a symbol of the modern man who tries to face reality without illusion. Sartre uses Roquentin to express his philosophy of existentialism.
Sensitive and Intelligent Man: Roquentin is a learned man with great sensitivity and imagination. He has traveled widely and works as a historian on the Marquis de Rollebon. But he is also emotionally restless. He feels things more deeply than others. He says,
“The Nausea is not inside me: I feel it out there in the wall.”
This shows his intense sensitivity to the world around him. His intelligence makes him question everything. Yet, his awareness also becomes his greatest burden.
Search for Meaning: Roquentin’s main struggle is to find meaning in life. He tries to discover it through his research on Rollebon. But he soon realizes that the past cannot give life purpose. He says,
“I no longer existed in myself, but in him; I ate for him, breathed for him.”
He understands that living through others is false. Sartre uses this to show Roquentin’s inner awakening. He learns that true meaning cannot come from history or from society—it must be self-created.
Sense of Isolation: Roquentin feels separated from other people. He cannot share his thoughts or emotions with them. He writes,
“I am alone in the midst of these happy, reasonable voices.”
His awareness isolates him from ordinary people who live without thinking deeply. He sees their happiness as blind and meaningless. This loneliness makes him both tragic and heroic. Sartre uses his isolation to show the cost of consciousness. To seeUnlock this study guide now
