Abstract
If the African mask influenced visual arts at the beginning of 20-th century (Picasso, Man Ray), what of literature? Nadja (1928) – the story, the character and the woman – Breton met, bears testimony to Surrealism. The character is constructed as a mask which is at once visual, verbal and ideological especially, as Nadja is, above all, Breton’s own mask and also that of Surrealist misogyny. Daniel Maximin was aware of the limitations of Surrealism, especially in the postcolonial context of the Antilles, and in his trilogy L’Isolé Soleil (1981), Soufrières (1987) et L’Ile et une nuit (2002), he returns to the relationship between Surrealism and Negritude. In order to unmask the feminine character, Maximin will create a new intertextual, ritual and collective mask.
| Translated title of the contribution | Unmasking Nadja or the Feminine Character from André Breton to Daniel Maximin |
|---|---|
| Original language | French |
| Pages (from-to) | 72-81 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Acta Iassyensia Comparationis peer-reviewed journal of comparative literature and cultural studies |
| Issue number | 9 |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Keywords
- Surrealism
- Negritude
- mask