Change, Transformation, Metamorphosis, Rebirth

Roquentin begins writing his diary because he has noticed a subtle change in his perceptions of himself and the world around him. He hopes that by recording his daily perceptions, he will be able to make sense of the nature of this change, which he describes as "an abstract change without object." He realizes that, at various points in his life, he has been "subject to these sudden transformations," in which "a crowd of small metamorphoses accumulate in me without my noticing it, and then one fine day, a veritable revolution takes place." Roquentin expresses that he is terrified of this "new overthrow in my life" because "I'm afraid of what will be born and take possession of me." Nausea describes the process of transformation that Roquentin experiences. Images of metamorphosis and rebirth throughout the narrative emphasize the centrality of this theme to the novel...