l, Sartre shows how people deceive themselves to avoid the truth of freedom. Through Antoine Roquentin’s awareness and other characters’ illusions, “
Nausea” becomes a study of how human beings hide from reality and live in self-deception.
Meaning of Bad Faith: Sartre uses Roquentin’s feelings to explain bad faith. At first, Roquentin hides from his freedom by writing about the Marquis de Rollebon. He believes his work can give him meaning. But soon he realizes that this is a lie. He says,
“I no longer existed in myself, but in him; I ate for him, breathed for him.”
His words show that he tries to escape his freedom by living through another man’s story. This is his early act of bad faith.
Illusion of Social Respect: The people of Bouville also live in bad faith. They live by empty rules and social pride. Roquentin sees their Sunday walks as false shows of success. He writes,
“From time to time... you catch the soft glint of a skull.”
This means that behind their proud faces hides the truth of death and emptiness. They believe in respectability to avoid facing their own freedom. Sartre shows that their moral order is only a mask for self-deception.
The Self-Taught Man’s Illusion: The Self-Taught Man also lives in bad faith. He believes in humanism and the perfect goodness of man. He says,
“I do not believe in God... But, in the internment camp, I learned to believe in men.”
He uses faith in humanity to hide from the meaninglessness of life. When he is later caught in a shameful act,
“his dreams of culture, his dreams of an understanding with mankind.”
His false ideals fall apart when reality breaks his illusion.
Anny’s False Beliefs: Anny also suffers from bad faith. She once believed in “perfect moments” that gave life meaning. But later, she admits that she can no longer feel those moments. She tells Roquentin,
“I outlive myself.”
She realizes that her belief in perfection was an illusion. She lived through artificial emotions to avoid facing her emptiness. Her bad faith ends when she accepts that such meaning cannot last. Sartre uses Anny to show how romantic ideals hide life’s absurd truth.
Freedom and Awakening: Roquentin’s journey is the path out of bad faith. When he feels Nausea, he faces existence directly. He says,
“Existence... must invade you suddenly, master you, weigh heavily on your heart.”
This is his awakening from self-deception. He later decides to write a novel, showing that true meaning must come from free choice, not from false beliefs. His final insight frees him from bad faith and leads him to authentic living.
In termination, Sartre exposes bad faith as the root of human weakness. Every character hides from truth through illusions—work, love, or ideals. But Roquentin finally accepts freedom and faces existence honestly. Sartre teaches that man must stop lying to himself and live with awareness. True freedom begins where bad faith ends.
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