Nausea

by

Jean-Paul Sartre

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Crabs

In Roquentin’s most paranoid fantasies, crabs represent Roquentin himself: scuttling and unnatural, on the edge of total madness. Crabs first appear in Roquentin’s narrative when he remembers a man he encountered during his childhood…

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Fog

To Roquentin, fog is a powerful symbol of derealization, the meaninglessness of existence, and the social alienation Roquentin ultimately suffers as a result. Heightening Roquentin’s sense of oblivion, loneliness, and confusion, the fog makes…

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Gardens

In Nausea, gardens represent sexuality and possibility, both threatening and enlightening. In one of the novel’s most striking passages, Roquentin imagines a grotesquely lush garden while touching Françoise’s thigh and genitals. As his…

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