Suggestions

Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.
  • Shakespeare dark gray
    • No Fear Shakespeare Translations
    • Shakespeare Study Guides
    • Shakespeare Life & Times
    • Glossary of Shakespeare Terms
  • Literature dark gray
    • No Fear Literature Translations
    • Literature Study Guides
    • Glossary of Literary Terms
    • How to Write Literary Analysis
  • Other Subjects dark gray
    • Biography
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Computer Science
    • Drama
    • Economics
    • Film
    • Health
    • History
    • Math
    • Philosophy
    • Physics
    • Poetry
    • Psychology
    • Short Stories
    • Sociology
    • US Government and Politics
  • Test Prep PLUS dark gray
    • Test Prep Lessons
    • AP® English Literature
    • AP® English Language
  • Teacher dark gray
    • SparkTeach
    • Teacher's Handbook
  • Blog
My PLUS Dashboard
  • Account Details
  • Subscription & Billing

Please wait while we process your payment

Reset Password

  • Please wait while we process your payment

    Log in Create account

    Sparknotes

  • By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy.

    Don’t have an account? Subscribe now

    Step 1 of 4

    Create Your Account

    Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial. Get instant access to all the benefits of SparkNotes PLUS! Cancel within the first 7 days and you won't be charged. We'll even send you a reminder.

    • Ad-free experience
    • Study notes
    • Flashcards & Quizzes
    • AP® English Test Prep
    • Plus much more

  • Already have an account? Log in

    Step 1 of 4

    Create Your Account done

    Step 2 of 4

    Choose Your Plan

    BEST VALUE

    Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan!

    Step 2 of 4

    Choose Your Plan done

    Step 3 of 4

    Add Your Payment Details

  • We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country.

  • Step 3 of 4

    Add Your Payment Details done

    Step 4 of 4

    Payment Summary

    SparkNotes Plus

     Change

    US + tax

    You'll be billed only after your free trial ends.

    7-day Free Trial

    DUE NOW

    $0.00

    Total due on August 21, 2022

    This is not a valid promo code.

    Promo Code

    SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only.

    Step 2 of 4

    Choose Your Plan

    Step 3 of 4

    Add Your Payment Details

    Step 4 of 4

    Payment Summary

    Suggestions

    Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.
    • My Account Icon My Account white
      • Account Details
      • Subscription & Billing
      My PLUS Dashboard
    • Shakespeare white
      • No Fear Shakespeare Translations
      • Shakespeare Study Guides
      • Shakespeare Life & Times
      • Glossary of Shakespeare Terms
    • Literature white
      • No Fear Literature Translations
      • Literature Study Guides
      • Glossary of Literary Terms
      • How to Write Literary Analysis
    • Other Subjects white
      • Biography
      • Biology
      • Chemistry
      • Computer Science
      • Drama
      • Economics
      • Film
      • Health
      • History
      • Math
      • Philosophy
      • Physics
      • Poetry
      • Psychology
      • Short Stories
      • Sociology
      • US Government and Politics
    • Test Prep PLUS white
      • Test Prep Lessons
      • AP® English Literature
      • AP® English Language
    • Teacher white
      • SparkTeach
      • Teacher's Handbook
    • Blog
    • Help

    Please wait while we process your payment

    expired-logo

    Your PLUS subscription has expired

    • We’d love to have you back! Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools.
    Renew your subscription

    Please wait while we process your payment

    expired-logo

    snpromo-logo
    • Looking for exclusive, AD-FREE study tools? Look no further!

    Nausea

    Jean-Paul Sartre

    Study Guide
    • Study Guide
    • Summary
      • Summary & Analysis
      • Section 1
      • Section 2
      • Section 3
      • Section 4
      • Section 5
      • Analysis
      • Full Book
      • Full Book Summary
    • Characters
    • Essays
      • Mini Essays
      • Suggested Essay Topics
    • Further Study
      • Jean-Paul Sartre and Nausea Background

    Please wait while we process your payment

    snplus-logo

    Unlock your FREE SparkNotes PLUS trial!

    Unlock your FREE Trial!

    Sign up and get instant access to bookmarks.
    • Ad-Free experience
    • Easy-to-access study notes
    • Flashcards & Quizzes
    • AP® English test prep
    • Plus much more
    Already have an account? Log in

    Characters

    Characters
    • Antoine Roquentin

      The protagonist of the novel, he is also the narrator, writing down his observations in diary format. After traveling around most of Africa and the Far East, he returned to Bouville to complete his historical research on the Marquis de Rollebon. Yet, not only has he lost interest in his research, but something about the way he sees both himself and the outside world begins to worry him. Whether it is holding a stone or looking at a glass of beer, he feels confronted by the bare existence of things. The result is what he calls the Nausea. He soon realizes that the Nausea comes from the fact that "existence precedes essence." He thinks the physical characteristics of objects and people are just a comforting facade to mask the "nothingness" of existence. By the end of the novel he has disavowed the past, embraced his existence, and discovered that there is no purpose to existence. Rather than surrender to despair, he decides to assert his freedom and moves to Paris to write a novel.

    • Marquis de Rollebon

      Although not a character in the novel per se, he is the subject of Roquentin's research. He was a mysterious French aristocrat who meddled in politics during and after the French Revolution. At first Roquentin thinks he can learn everything about him, but soon realizes that not only is he guessing about who the marquis really was, but he is also using him to justify his existence. Roquentin's rejection of Rollebon is thus a rejection of living in the past.

    • Anny

      She is Roquentin's old lover and lives in Paris. Even though she begs Roquentin to come see her, she is more interested in the man he used to be. She admittedly lives in the past, rereading the same history books and recalling the "perfect moments" of her life. She refuses to resume her relationship with Roquentin since she is already the mistress of a number of men who pay for her apartment.

    • Self-Taught Man

      A lonely man whom Roquentin meets at the Bouville Library. Roquentin mocks him for thinking he can learn all there is to know by reading everything in the Library in alphabetical order. He is a defender of humanism, believing that all men and women are united by the common bond of love. He is later chased out of town for fondling a small boy in public.

    • Francoise

      The barmaid of a local cafe, she is Roquentin's sometime lover. As his nausea progresses he is more and more disgusted at the prospect of having sex with her.

    Test your knowledge

    Take the Characters Quick Quiz

    Take a study break

    Every Shakespeare Play Summed Up in a Single Sentence

    Take a study break

    The 7 Most Embarrassing Proposals in Literature

    Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? x

    Take a Study Break

    • Every Shakespeare Play Summed Up in a Single Sentence

    • The 7 Most Embarrassing Proposals in Literature

    • The 6 Best and Worst TV Show Adaptations of Books

    • QUIZ: Which Greek God Are You?

    Sign up for our latest news and updates!
    By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. You can view our Privacy Policy here. Unsubscribe from our emails at any time.

    SparkNotes—the stress-free way to a better GPA

    • Popular
    • No Fear Shakespeare
    • Literature Guides
    • Other Subjects
    • Blog
    • Teacher’s Handbook
    • SparkNotes PLUS
    • Why choose PLUS?
    • Sign Up
    • Log In
    • PLUS Help
    • More
    • Help
    • How to Cite SparkNotes
    • How to Write Literary Analysis
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise

    Copyright © SparkNotes LLC

    • Terms of Use
    • |
    • Privacy
    • |
    • Cookie Policy
    • |
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
           
    >