The Autodidact’s Expulsion

This flow follows the library incident from covert intimacy through public accusation to the autodidact’s forced departure.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Hidden Gesture

The Hidden Gesture A quiet conversation The autodidact speaks closely with a schoolboy in the library while another boy sits nearby. Their apparent calm conceals a risky interaction watched by Roquentin and other readers. The room becomes an audience A concealed touch shifts the scene from private conversation toward public scandal. Roquentin senses danger but hesitates, unsure what intervention would prevent it.

Accusation and Beating

Accusation and Beating The authority intervenes Paoli confronts the autodidact, and a woman confirms that she has seen his conduct before. The social accusation quickly becomes a contest over respectability and control of the room. Violence replaces judgment Paoli strikes the man twice while other readers watch. Roquentin’s anger rises, but the event has already transformed a library disagreement into physical punishment.

Departure Without Repair

Departure Without Repair Roquentin intervenes too late Roquentin grabs Paoli by the neck and threatens him, but releases him before the conflict can continue. The autodidact does not accept Roquentin’s offer to accompany him. Exile begins The injured man leaves the library alone, and Roquentin imagines his ongoing walk through the city. Neither force nor sympathy restores the social place he has lost.

On Roquentin’s final afternoon in Bouville

A few minutes later in the library

Immediately after the assault