Nausea Madness Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

A crazy loon: he relaxes, he feels protected against himself: nothing will happen to him today. I am reassured too. A crazy old loon: so that was it, so that was all. (16.81)

When the strange man named M. Achille enters the café, Antoine almost feels relieved to know that there is someone around who is crazier than him. The problem with M. Achille, though, is that he doesn't feel responsible for what he does with his life because he's been labeled as "crazy." For Sartre, individuals are always responsible for their actions, and psychological explanations can't undo this fact.

Quote #8

It's strange that everything makes so little difference to me: it frightens me. (24.280)

Antoine is downright scared by how little he cares about the people and things around him. It doesn't make any difference to him if any of them are dead or alive. In short, he wishes that he felt more connected to things, since this is apparently how a person is "supposed" to feel.

Quote #9

I feel as though I could do anything. For example, stab this cheese knife into the Self-Taught Man's eye. (24.282)

When he realizes that the world is an absurd place and human life has no higher meaning, Antoine feels like he has total freedom to do whatever he wants. There's no God to tell him what's moral or not, so he totally has the freedom to pick up a knife and stab his friend in the eye. Of course, he'd have to deal with the consequences, like going to jail. But he can still do it if he's willing to take responsibility.