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Re: [NABOKOV-L] Pale Fire's epigraph, Hazel and Hodges
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It helps to know that Boswell hated cats, as he mentions before citing the
"ludicrous account" that forms the epigraph of PF ("I am, unluckily, one of
those who has an antipathy to a cat, so that I am uneasy when in the room
with one; and I own, I frequently suffered a good deal from the presence of
this same Hodge.").
Boswell's Journal for December, 1764, relates a discussion with Rousseau
about cats that may be of interest to readers of PF:
""ROUSSEAU. 'Do you like cats?' BOSWELL. 'No.' ROUSSEAU. 'I was sure of
that. It is my test of character. There you have the despotic instinct of
men. They do not like cats because the cat is free and will never consent to
become a slave. He will do nothing to your order, as the other animals do.'
BOSWELL. 'Nor a hen, either.' ROUSSEAU. 'A hen would obey your orders if you
could make her understand them. But a cat will understand you perfectly and
not obey them.' BOSWELL. 'But a cat is ungrateful and treacherous.'
ROUSSEAU. 'No. That's all untrue. A cat is an animal that can be very much
attached to you; he will do anything you please out of friendship...'"
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"ludicrous account" that forms the epigraph of PF ("I am, unluckily, one of
those who has an antipathy to a cat, so that I am uneasy when in the room
with one; and I own, I frequently suffered a good deal from the presence of
this same Hodge.").
Boswell's Journal for December, 1764, relates a discussion with Rousseau
about cats that may be of interest to readers of PF:
""ROUSSEAU. 'Do you like cats?' BOSWELL. 'No.' ROUSSEAU. 'I was sure of
that. It is my test of character. There you have the despotic instinct of
men. They do not like cats because the cat is free and will never consent to
become a slave. He will do nothing to your order, as the other animals do.'
BOSWELL. 'Nor a hen, either.' ROUSSEAU. 'A hen would obey your orders if you
could make her understand them. But a cat will understand you perfectly and
not obey them.' BOSWELL. 'But a cat is ungrateful and treacherous.'
ROUSSEAU. 'No. That's all untrue. A cat is an animal that can be very much
attached to you; he will do anything you please out of friendship...'"
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/