September, 1940: Reverie of Europe

Anais Nin continues to compare America to Europe. She is disillusioned by the study of the masses rather than the individual. She feels that if an individual were understood, this would give insight into human beings as a whole. She does like the activity, the intensity, the tempo of New York, although she says it prevents the experience from seeping in due to a lack of time for reflection, which she needs so that understanding is born. Anais says that New York is the opposite of Paris where everything is designed for intimacy whereas in New York, people are unconcerned with intimacy, development of friendship, and self development.