NADJA – Outside Reflecting In

Nadja was a very interesting read and builds onto the Proust reading we did last week, especially in terms of me stepping into a form of writing I’m not very familiar with. This book is very disconnected and doesn’t seem to follow a typical storyline comprised of a beginning, middle and end. Nadja is my introduction to surrealistic literature and in many ways it was kind of jarring working my way through it. However, I also kind of enjoyed the process and I felt my brain grow! One of the most memorable themes present in this book was the importance of art and literature. This could be seen through Nadja getting calmed down from a sort of panic attack through Breton sharing art and reading a poem for her. In many ways it felt like this importance of art was weaved through the book. The introduction of the book started with a bang, with the question of who do I haunt? This question made me reflect on which people or experiences seem to ‘haunt’ my life. I started thinking about which stories I’ve heard or experienced which still stay with me. It made me reflect on what the types of stories and experiences I keep close to my heart reflect about me and the internal environment of my mind. In Nadja, Breton’s obsession acts as a reflection of himself. I really liked this concept because it reminded me of this conversion I heard at a café a few days prior. I remember hearing these 2 men in their presumably 50’s (not that it matters how old they were) talk about how the love that we experience in others isn’t love that we receive, but instead is the love inside of ourselves reflected back through others. This also reminded me of how in Nadja, Breton could see the reflection of the world in her eyes. This is what initially captured his attention in the first place. Even Breton’s obsession with Nadja is because she acts as an ideal version of his fantasy of surrealism. She doesn’t fit into society, as seen in the way she dresses and the aura and vibe she carries herself with. His love/obsession with her is merely a reflection of the love and interests he carries within himself (at least that is kind of what I got from the novel – my interpretation). A question I had following this novel is; What parts of my experiences and interest in others is just a reflection of a part of myself?