In A Man's Place, Annie Ernaux says she uses italics:
"not because I wish to point out a double meaning to the reader and so draw him into my confidence -- irony, pathos and nostalgia are something I've always rejected. But simply because these particular words and sentences to find the nature and the limits of the world where my father lives and which I too shared. It was a world in which language was the very expression of reality."
A small collage of all the non-proper nouns Ernaux italicized in this text. I have added capital letters and periods where none existed, often to indicate words which stood alone in italics. I have preserved all the intact phrases and fragments and sentences. Where Ernaux italicized quotations and words by others, I have dropped the quotation marks and used italics.
We were happy in spite of everything. We had
to be. Had to live. Out of place. Nothing fancy, just
the standard thing. Eau-de-vivre. Galette des rois.
Town clothes. Patois. Lycee. In the fresh air. Elsewhere.
Bourgeois. There were others worse off.
For rolling in the dew makes the milkmaids so fair.
Brought home. Unprejudiced. Social outcast. What do you expect.
What are people going to say? Respected. Necessary.
Maintain his status. Position. All that. Good, clean
fun. Humble. Extended. I've only got one
pair of hands. Just as many things. The child has
everything she needs. Silly films. Luxury.
Wasn't as good. Too busy even to take a leak. Eat
into their capital. Think! You clumsy oaf.
There's no reason why you shouldn't go.
Despite everything one had to go on living.
Mademoiselle really had it tough
Better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion.
Widow of the late A------- D------.
Canton. Got on her nerves. Battled. Bad
manners. Walking, that's how I get rid of
my flu. Give a good talking to. Ditto. We all know
what's waiting for us. High-ranking.
Good manners. Concierge. Beat himself.
Or maybe hoped. To live. Enjoy life.
Impregnate. All that big business
ending up with a worker.
Do them any harm.
Oh, the hell with it, let's enjoy life while we can!
Honest, hardworking people half
set in their ways. Hired.
How's it all going to end
looked one up and down.
It’s a marvelous book. And I wanted to keep a record of the italicized words somehow. This is that.