Analyzing Nadja by Breton Andre

1 Reply

To begin, “Nadja” by Berton Andre, was simple yet a bit complex to read. I say this because the novel did not have any breaks in it such as organizational tactics like chapter cutoffs. Rather this novel just had a blank page that split the narration into different parts. Most writing pieces that I have read, especially novels have had chapter divisions which allows the reader to stop and pause to think about what is going on. I did not particularly enjoy the continuous style of reading but I am glad that this novel exposed me to a new style of comprehending as I had to follow along for a longer period of time. 

Furthermore, as for the content of the novel I found it to be quite interesting and fun to read as it sparked many thoughts about oneself and self-reflection. This idea of self-reflection was provoked at the beginning of the novel as it starts with the question “Who am I?”. This is a question we often ask ourselves throughout our lives as we are trying to build our identity and shape our lives. Arguably some may say that this question at hand is the most important question a person may ask themselves throughout their life. Additionally, something that stood out to me specifically in the first part of the novel was Andre Berton’s view on life. He explained that one of the few ways to understand a person is through what the person haunts. I have never thought about this perspective before and found it quite intriguing as figuring out what a person haunts may not be a simple task. This idea of identity and figuring out who a person is adds a sense of realism as it allows the reader to make connections to their life and provokes personal thoughts.  

Additionally, in the second part of the book Andre meets a girl named Nadja who was a charming young girl. He depicts the emotions and feelings at the time of meeting her with much description. I enjoyed the pictures that were added in the novel as it allowed me to grasp a better visual of what was going on. The inclusion of graphics is very helpful as it helps readers imagine the story better and provides good context. Novels often do not include pictures however, sometimes pictures can communicate a story better than words do and also allows a person to engage better with the writing. With that being said, I enjoyed reading this novel and am grateful for all the new ideas I got to soak in. Analyzing Nadja by Breton Andre

Discussion Question?

The novel greatly emphasizes the idea of how to understand someone. So, in your opinion what is the best way to understand a person?

Analyzing “Combray” by Marcel Proust

3 Replies

To begin, “Combray” by Marcel Proust, as previously mentioned by my other classmates, was not the easiest read. As I started reading the novel I quickly realized that the story is written in very fine detail as every scene is described in depth. This made the story a bit hard to follow and stay in tune with as the style of writing was lengthy, resulting in me losing interest in certain parts. Also, the way the memories were explained and laid out, made it hard to follow the sequence of events. Thus, due to the descriptive methodology used, I felt as if I was not able to comprehend the story to the best of my abilities. I do not feel as if I would be able to explain the story to others as well as I may be able to explain other pieces of writing. 

Although the reading felt difficult, I enjoyed the overall storyline of the novel. I found it interesting how the narrator looked back at his childhood and the hardships he faced as a child but more specifically while it was time to sleep. One thing in particular that stood out to me was how he had to follow a strict routine to fall asleep. This routine involved a kiss from his mother before he fell asleep as he could not sleep without it. The difficulty of not falling asleep without the kiss was depicted when they had a guest (Charles) come over and the mother was not able to kiss the narrator due to being occupied. This idea perpetuates the concept of habitual practices and routines that we adopt in our daily lives. Often as humans, we have to do specific things throughout our day, every day as we feel incomplete without it. I think the narrators attachment to his mother and the anxieties associated with it, is a universal experience for kids as a mother’s love can be the most comforting feeling for them. 

Furthermore, this idea of routine and change is portrayed via the narrators transition between childhood and adulthood. He explains the transition of how he became less dependant on his mother as he gets older. Change and transition between phases in our life are not easy but rather require stepping out of our comfort zone and trying new things.  In this sense, the story provides a realistic perspective for people to relate to which is a positive feature as stories like this written that far in time, do not always feel relatable. 

With that being said, I would have enjoyed this story more if it was a bit simpler but I am glad I was able to challenge my reading and comprehension skills with this novel.

Discussion Question:

  1. Has anyone had a similar experience to the narrator in regards to following a specific routine as a child? If so, what did that routine or practice look like?

Week 1- Introduction

4 Replies

Hello!

Introduction

My name is Puneet Dulla and I am from Surrey, BC. I was born and raised in Surrey which is not to far out from Vancouver. I commute to and from UBC which is not as bad as it may seem.  I am a second year student here at UBC and I am currently studying Psychology with a minor in Laso. I have found both fields to be quite interesting and a bit surprised at the overlap of content in both subject areas. I plan on becoming a lawyer in the future with a specific interest in criminal law. Further, throughout my education journey, English and literature have not always been my strongest subject but I am intrigued about Romance Studies which is why I took this class. I also took this class as it fulfills my literature requirement.

Expectations 

As per my expectation of this course, I hope to achieve a good mark (A), but obtaining this mark will not be easy and require a great deal of work and effort. One aspect that I believe that will make this course a bit less intimidating is the concept of using blog posts instead of essays or “exams”. Blogs allow for peers to engage with each other and delve into each others thoughts.  I also like this concept of blogs as it allows for exploration in different topics and readings of our choice instead of being pressurized to succeed by doing formal pieces of writing. Although, I am in the Arts faculty I do not enjoy writing essays as much and am sure some of my classmates will be able to relate. Although I am not a huge fan of essay writing, I hope to leave this course as a stronger reader as well as a more insightful and thoughtful thinker.

Response to the Lecture

The first lecture was quite informative as it provided context of the course as well as provided a background to romance studies. One concept that I liked about this lecture is how there was a collaborative aspect in which peers got to share their experiences with reading and novels. Everyone is not a fan of reading which is okay but hearing others who are interested and dedicated readers could be quite inspiring.  Furthermore, it is helpful to learn about what makes reading “good” and “bad”. Also, another fact that I found interesting from this lecture is how the language of romance studies shares a common latin root.

With that being said, I am looking forward to this semester and what this course has to offer. I hope everyone has a good semester!