How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I think they do it to pass the time, nothing more. But time is too large, it can't be filled up. Everything you plunge into it is stretched and disintegrates. (7.19)
According to Antoine, most of the things people do in their lives are designed to kill time. The problem is that time can never be filled up, because as soon as your distraction ends, you become bored and anxious all over again. The process of killing time can never be over, which causes Antoine a lot of pain.
Quote #2
[Nausea] spreads at the bottom of the viscous puddle, at the bottom of our time—the time of purple suspenders and broken chair seats; it is made of wide, soft instants, spreading at the edge, like an oil stain. (7.22)
Antoine's feelings of Nausea are directly connected to his experience of time. For him, time isn't just something that passes us by. It's a type of void that swallows up all of our greatest joys and accomplishments. One thing that time makes sure of is the fact that nothing lasts… especially not joy. Life is just an endless effort to stay one step ahead of time. But it's a game you can never win
Quote #3
This is time, time laid bare, coming slowly into existence, keeping us waiting, and when it does come making us sick because we realize it's been there for a long time. (10.2)
Every now and then, we succeed in distracting ourselves from the devouring powers of time. But sooner or later, we'll realize that it's still eating up everything we do with our lives, destroying everything as the present turns into the past. This is a painful thing to realize, as Antoine (and probably many readers) is bound to find out.