Comment on the Instances of ‘Bad Faith’ as Represented in the Novel Nausea.

Answer

Critically examine the instances of “bad faith’ as presented in the novel “Nausea”. [2020, 2018] ✪✪✪

Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980) presents several strong examples of “bad faith” in  “Nausea” (1938). Bad faith means denying one’s own freedom and responsibility by living under false values or pretending that life has fixed meaning. In this novel, Sartre shows how people deceive themselves to avoid the truth of freedom. Through Antoine Roquentin’s awareness and other characters’ illusions, “Nausea” becomes a study of how human beings hide from reality and live in self-deception.

Meaning of Bad Faith: Sartre uses Roquentin’s feelings to explain bad faith. At first, Roquentin hides from his freedom by writing about the Marquis de Rollebon. He believes his work can give him meaning. But soon he realizes that this is a lie. He says, 

“I no longer existed in myself, but in him; I ate for him, breathed for him.” 

His words show that he tries to escape his freedom by living through another man’s story. This is his early act of bad faith.

Illusion of Social Respect: The people of Bouville also live in bad faith. They live by empty rules and social pride. Roquentin sees their Sunday walks as false shows of success. He writes, 

“From time to time… you catch the soft glint of a skull.” 

This means that behind their proud faces hides the truth of death and emptiness. They believe in respectability to avoid facing their own freedom. Sartre shows that their moral order is only a mask for self-deception.

The Self-Taught Man’s Illusion: The Self-Taught Man also lives in bad faith. He believes in humanism and the perfect goodness of man. He says, 

“I do not believe in God… But, in the internment camp, I learned to believe in men.” 

He uses faith in humanity to hide from the meaninglessness of life. When