The paper focuses on describing key attributes of the "superfluous man" as it appears in Russian literature of 19th and 20th centuries, but also as more general literary type.It combines the analysis and interpretation of particular texts, in which such characters appear, with contemporary and present views of literary scientists and critics. The purpose is to create a definition which can help us to consider which literary character is -or is not -the "superfluous man".
The study confronts the concept of the superfluous man, as it appeared in 19th century Russian literature, with the features used in French existentialism. Specifically, we will deal with the analysis of Antoine Roquentin, protagonist of Jean-Paul Sarter's Nausea (1938).
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