Chapter 15, This Pinchisimo Paris and Chapter 16, What the Water Gave Me Summary and Analysis

Kahlo sailed to Paris in 1939 and Europe was in an unsettling peace. She stayed with Andre and Jacqueline Breton. She was not immediately happy with the city and ended up ill in the American Hospital. She moved out of the hospital into her own apartment after the Bretons began to irritate her. Since she could not spend all day alone, she visited with Marcel Duchamp for entertainment. Here, she also learned more about the Surrealist movement. However, overall, Kahlo did not appreciate the decadence of Paris or their empty posturing.

During her time in Paris, Kahlo supported and participated in meetings with various Trotskyites. Upon her return to Mexico, however, she supported Rivera's public voicing of turning from Trotsky and breaking...