Nadja – Reflection

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Nadja by André Breton. The novel started off a little slow, especially with the surrealism jargon. Thus, the only issue I had with the novel was the beginning and the end, which discussed surrealism. Although, the surreal lens used to write this novel added to its charm.

One of the main themes I saw in the story was obsession. The relationship between Nadja and the author is shown to be an obsession, with him longing to see her everyday questioning “what can I do in the meantime, if I don’t see her?” (90). His tendency to become obsessed is also demonstrated through the movie “The Grip of the Octopus”, which he claims to have seen multiple times.

I found that when I was reading, I kept getting caught off guard due to the sudden changes and new knowledge about Nadja. Nadja on the surface appeared to be very intelligent and independent when we are first introduced to her. As we got to know Nadja more through the narrator’s eyes, Nadja became a more complex and layered character. I found Nadja rather interesting, especially as we learned more about her past. There are multiple mentions that allude to Nadja having a tough life before the climax ending of the story. I often found myself second guessing her intentions due to her reliance on the author for money and her shifting moods. It was not until I found out the whole picture, aka Nadja being “mad” that her actions and mood swings seemed to make sense.

Furthermore, how the author described his relationship with Nadja was also a point of interest for me in the novel. The author often describes the power dynamic between himself and Nadja. The author claims Nadja “takes me for a god, she thinks of me as the sun” (111). I found this interesting because the reader is not aware of many specifics surrounding Nadja’s life before the author comes to know her, which makes me question why she creates this power dynamic between her and someone she is romantically and sexually interested in. It made me question how this could have been an effect from prior relationships she has had, or if it is simply her way of expressing love.

I was not expecting the discussion on mental institutions, but I was pleasantly surprised by the commentary the author provided. His strong anti-institutionalization of those with mental health illnesses demonstrated some interesting commentary on social norms during the time. I specifically see the line “Nadja was poor, which in our time is enough to condemn her” (142), very telling of the social constructions during this time. I do not have much knowledge on the view the general public had on institutionalized psychiatric treatment, but I am inclined to think André Breton was unique in his opinions on the matter.

Overall, Nadja was a very enjoyable, thought provoking novel that allowed me to connect with the characters and themes in the story.

Discussion Questions 

1. What are some clues that hint to what happens to Nadja at the end of the story?
2. Do you think the author really loved Nadja? Why or why not?