Genre
Philosophical novel
Setting and Context
The fictional town of Bouville, France; 1932, in the wake of World War I
Narrator and Point of View
Antoine Roquentin is the first-person narrator.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the novel is cold and distant; the mood is gloomy, disaffected, and grim.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of the story is Antoine Roquentin; the antagonist can be seen as society itself, or more specifically, the sense of "Nausea" that it provokes in Antoine
Major Conflict
The major conflict takes place between Antoine and his Nausea. Unable to overcome it until late in the novel, Antoine attempts to work through it philosophically and analytically. This prompts much of his diary-writing. His internal conflicts also fuel the minor conflicts in the novel, like Antoine and Anny's conversation.
Climax
The culmination of the story takes place when Anne meets with Antoine.
Foreshadowing
The violence between the Corsican and Self-Taught Man is foreshadowed early in the novel, as a number of Antoine's dismissive jabs suggest that he might be homosexual.
Understatement
Antoine's writing style often uses ironic understatement.
Allusions
The most visible allusions are to philosophers, like Descartes or Heidegger.
Imagery
Visceral, dream-like imagery is often used
Paradox
Antoine often describes things with paradoxical phrases like “sweetish sickness” or “nice, gloomy face." On a larger scale, he explores a number of philosophical paradoxes.
Parallelism
Though verbal parallelism is not used often, Antoine and Anny display parallel thoughts.
