When Nietzsche Wept: A Novel Of Obsession

Four weeks later, Lou visits Breuer in his office in Vienna. Before she arrives, Breuer thinks back on his appointments from earlier in the workday, listing the simple treatments for their straightforward physical ailments. Despite the innovative and philosophical nature of his work with Anna O., he is at heart an ordinary doctor, and his days are spent applying mustard plasters to ease coughs and snipping out infected tonsils with scissors. Lou finally arrives, and the two engage in slightly flirtatious banter, as Breuer jokes that Lou’s independent character will come as a surprise to her future husband, to which Lou says that marriage is not for her, unless it is a “part-time marriage” (16). Breuer admires her beauty and the strength of her personality and has to remind himself that she is half his age. Salome discusses the treatment Breuer provided to Anna O., specifically the use of mesmerism to help probe the source of her hysteria. Salome then tells Breuer not to use mesmerism on Nietzsche as he would see it as a relinquishing of power. She tells Breuer not to align himself with her because Nietzsche holds her responsible for his despair. Salome details the history of how she and Nietzsche met, that she was introduced to him by a mutual friend, the philosopher Paul Ree, who had intended for Nietzsche to become Salome’s mentor. After their first meeting, Salome and Nietzsche became fast friends, and the three of them considered living together. They gave this idea the name of “The Unholy Trinity.” It never came to pass because of Nietzsche’s concern that it would spoil Salome’s public reputation. In order to make it appear less scandalous, Nietzsche proposed that he and Salome should marry; soon thereafter, he retracted the proposal. Salome then tells Breuer about Nietzsche’s sister, Elizabeth, an antisemite and a very overprotective sister. Elizabeth convinced Nietzsche that Salome was a salacious and lascivious woman and that he should stay away. Tension between Salome and Nietzsche increased, as it did between Paul and Nietzsche. Eventually, the whole circumstance greatly increased Nietzsche’s despair. He wrote letters to Lou in which he detailed his despair and his suicidal ideation, and Lou quotes these letters to Breuer. The letters convince Breuer of the seriousness of Nietzsche’s affliction but also increase his doubts as to whether he can help. As she prepares to leave Breuer’s office, Lou mentions that she wishes to stay friends with him and again insists that Breuer cannot mention that she set up the meeting between him and Nietzsche.

After Lou Salome leaves, Dr. Breuer sees a patient who has an enlarged prostate. He then makes a few house calls, and upon returning home, he sees his friend, Sigmund Freud, and asks him to join him in his fiacre, a kind of horse drawn carriage. Freud discusses with Breuer his discontent with the practice of medicine, saying he would have preferred to stay in the university, teaching and researching. Freud looks up to Breuer, a man 16 years his senior, and holds a very close relationship with him. Breuer reminds Freud that he also experienced disappointment. Like Freud, he wanted to remain at the university but was ultimately passed over because, like Freud, he is Jewish. Breuer and Freud arrive at Breuer’s residence, where Breuer’s wife, Mathilde, greets them. The narrator reveals that the Breuers have five children. There is also apparent marital tension, which puts Freud in the awkward position of mediating between them. Mathilde prepares some soup for Breuer and Freud, and the two converse after dinner. Breuer tells Freud of a recurring nightmare he has. The two men discuss the symbolism of dreams, and Freud suggests that there are unknown layers of consciousness that are not understood, from which dreams take shape. The conversation between Freud and Breuer turns to Breuer’s treatment of Bertha, first beginning with hypnosis and then evolving into talk therapy. Breuer tells Freud that the talk therapy significantly reduced Bertha’s agitated emotional state. Eventually, because of the strain that his preoccupation with Bertha placed on his marriage, Breuer abandoned the case, and Bertha was admitted to an institution where she wrestled with morphine addiction. The conversation then turns to Breuer’s meetings with Lou. Breuer tells Freud why Salome visited him and, without identifying him by name, describes Nietzsche’s symptoms and health conditions and outlines his planned treatment.

Breuer reads a letter from Lou stating that Nietzsche will be paying him a visit. As Breuer prepares for the appointment, he thinks about his own inner turmoil. He is restless, is dissatisfied with his life in spite of his success, and has at least had passing thoughts of suicide. Finally, Breuer’s nurse, Frau Becker, ushers Nietzsche into Breuer’s office. Breuer begins with small talk, but Nietzsche cuts straight to the chase and directs the conversation toward his illness. Breuer tries to steer the conversation toward topics that might reveal Nietzsche’s psychological state, but Nietzsche is quick to steer it back to his physical illness.