paroxysm

CamusのTHE OUTSIDER、Part Five 死刑の判決が出た主人公に牧師が会いに来ている場面です。
Then, for some reason, something exploded inside me. I started shouting at the top of my voice and I insulted him and told him not to pray for me. I'd grabbed him by the collar of his cassock. I was pouring everything out at him from the bottom of my heart in a paroxysm of joy and anger.
主人公は宗教は信じない、母親が死んでも涙を流さない、死刑を宣告されても何とも思わない様な変わった人間ですが、刑務所や死刑の宣告の経験はありませんが、考えて見ると自分の性格や考え方と半分位は同じ様な気もします。（少なくとも、宗教は信じない、母親、父親が死んだ時も涙を流さなかった事は同じです。）　但し、彼が人を殺した理由は全く理解も想像もできません。
"paroxysm" が気になる単語なので調べます。
・American Heritage Dictionary: A sudden outburst of emotion or action: a paroxysm of laughter.
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary:
1. a fit, attack, or sudden increase or recurrence of symptoms (as of a disease) : convulsion paroxysm
2: a sudden violent emotion or action : outburst (a paroxysm of rage)
・Cambridge Advanced Learner's English Dictionary: a sudden and powerful expression of strong feeling, especially one that you cannot control: In a sudden paroxysm of jealousy he threw her clothes out of the window.
"paroxysm" は "fit", "convulsion" と同義語ですね。