Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
Andre Gide, La Symphonie Pastorale, Narcissus
College
Humanities
Department
Philosophy
Abstract
Andre Gide’s La Symphonie Pastorale (in English, The Pastoral Symphony) portrays a pastor who mistakes the love of a woman for the love of God and believes he is serving God while he serves mostly just himself. Even his avowed love for Gertrude, a blind orphan girl he takes in, turns out to be mostly self-serving. Because the pastor’s self-love appears as love for Gertrude, some readers have compared the pastor to Narcissus and Gertrude to Narcissus’ entrancing image in the pool. Further steeping a scene already drenched in irony, I argue that while the pastor loves Gertrude as his image, she is more aptly an image of the pastor’s son, Jacques.
Recommended Citation
Huff, Benjamin and Sprenger, Dr. Scott
(2013)
"THE UNREFLECTING NARCISSUS,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013:
Iss.
1, Article 959.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/959