purâtre
a french word meaning “pure-ish.” It appears on a decaying movie poster, which Antoine sees while wandering at night.
banal
lacking originality
nebulous
vague and unclear
interminable
endless
monotonous
overly consistent or repetitious to the point of tedium
sketchy
incomplete or partial (of an account of something)
ruminate
to think deeply
giddiness
a state of excitement
morose
gloomy or bad-tempered
miserly
penny-pinching or unwilling to spend much money
capricious
changes in behavior that are unaccountable and sudden
scrupulous
a process or person that pays attention to detail
myriad
a large number or quantity
flabby
fleshy and soft
superfluous
unnecessary excess of something
disconcerted
confused
pompous
self-important
metamorphosis
the process by which a thing transforms its shape or form and becomes something else
docile
obedient
Stream of Consciousness
first defined by William James, stream of consciousness refers to the continuous flow of one’s thoughts and experiences in the mind. Many modernist writers developed a writing style which attempted to capture this continuous flow, and as such, the term was applied generally to this narrative style.
existent
something which has actual, present being
bourgeoisie
the middle class. In a Marxist context, they are specifically the capitalist class who own the means of production.
Ducks and Drakes
a children's game of skipping stones
Corsica
Corsica is a small island and a part of France. Famously, it is the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was nicknamed “Le Corse” or “The Corsican.”
Humanism
humanism is a wide-ranging intellectual movement that has many different manifestations. In Nausea, it appears largely as a belief in the inherent good of humanity.
désœuvré
a French term meaning unemployed or idle
Khmer
modern-day Cambodia
being-in-itself
non-conscious being, like stones, dead things, or plants
being-for-itself
conscious being or thought
being-for-others
conscious being confronted by the existence of other conscious beings
Socialism
socialism is a political and economic movement that started in the 19th century. Marxism, built on the texts of Karl Marx and popular in France during Sartre’s time, is perhaps the most commonly known form of socialist thought.