Najda by Andre Breton
In Najda by Andre Breton, the author is able to eloquently capture the anxieties and life of the era while identifying the role of surrealism in our understanding of the text. I greatly enjoyed the non-traditional narrative structure and heavy use of coincidences that helped to better develop the text and the characters within it. The author uses a bizarre writing style along with imagery in the first section of the book which really enhance but also complicate the experience for the reader.
The narrative, if you can call it that, follows a series of encounters and experiences, rather than a linear plot. The text begins as a more abstract exploration of surrealism and the protagonist’s feeling of separation from the world and his interactions within it. He describes feeling much like a ghost, having little impact on the world and not fully recognizing himself or the people with whom he interacts. I really resonate with this notion as I prepare to graduate and the existential crisis of what to do next takes hold. It really can feel (as Descartes loves to say) as though life is truly meaningless. Breton’s transference of this idea to our relationships also feels poignant in the context of remote work and the aftereffects of COVID. I have worked several remote internships in the last few years where I never stepped foot in an office or met any of my coworkers in person. Many of those interactions felt meaningless and led me to question my impact and purpose.
Later on in the novel, the protagonist encounters the titular character, Nadja, in Paris. Their meeting sets off a series of strange events throughout the city, where Nadja reveals her unique world perspective. Though these erratic events, the protagonist is introduced to the world of surrealism and finds his own views challenged. However, Nadja’s behavior quickly becomes too erratic and she is institutionalized for mental illness. This sudden turn of events leaves us questioning the line between sanity and insanity, and the cost of freedom from typical societal norms. The character of Nadja reinforces the protagonist’s disillusionment with the world and his social interactions. If Nadja is able to live so freely, why can’t we all?
My question this week focuses on the text more broadly. Do you feel that Breton’s writing style and strange divisions of narrative added or subtracted from your comprehension and enjoyment of the text?
The narrative, if you can call it that, follows a series of encounters and experiences, rather than a linear plot. The text begins as a more abstract exploration of surrealism and the protagonist’s feeling of separation from the world and his interactions within it. He describes feeling much like a ghost, having little impact on the world and not fully recognizing himself or the people with whom he interacts. I really resonate with this notion as I prepare to graduate and the existential crisis of what to do next takes hold. It really can feel (as Descartes loves to say) as though life is truly meaningless. Breton’s transference of this idea to our relationships also feels poignant in the context of remote work and the aftereffects of COVID. I have worked several remote internships in the last few years where I never stepped foot in an office or met any of my coworkers in person. Many of those interactions felt meaningless and led me to question my impact and purpose.
Later on in the novel, the protagonist encounters the titular character, Nadja, in Paris. Their meeting sets off a series of strange events throughout the city, where Nadja reveals her unique world perspective. Though these erratic events, the protagonist is introduced to the world of surrealism and finds his own views challenged. However, Nadja’s behavior quickly becomes too erratic and she is institutionalized for mental illness. This sudden turn of events leaves us questioning the line between sanity and insanity, and the cost of freedom from typical societal norms. The character of Nadja reinforces the protagonist’s disillusionment with the world and his social interactions. If Nadja is able to live so freely, why can’t we all?
My question this week focuses on the text more broadly. Do you feel that Breton’s writing style and strange divisions of narrative added or subtracted from your comprehension and enjoyment of the text?
Glen, I like several ideas in your blog this week because they suggest issues that are not so obvious. In a world like the one we live in, post-COVID pandemic, the very nature of the encounters has changed, there is a kind of anxiety against their spontaneity. What would a contemporary version of this novel be like?
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