Subject
Re: [NABOKOV-L] [SIGHTING,
2002] Driving in the Snow: Ithaca and New Wye
2002] Driving in the Snow: Ithaca and New Wye
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On Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 2:33 PM, joseph Aisenberg
<vanveen13@sbcglobal.net>wrote:
...
I never noticed that quote before. It's interesting, because later Shade
> waits to be picked up from the school by his wife who, late one day, prompts
> a restless Shade to accept a ride with Kinbote, as if he were usually
> chauffeured by Sybil, as Nabokov was in real life driven by his wife. But
> then John Shade seems meant to be very American, and having him completely
> attended by his wife as the blogger's grandfather recalled Nabokov's being
> attended by his would really stand out.
When Kinbote falls on the ice, Shade is driving, so there's no reason to
think Sybil always chauffeured him. It seems to make sense for Sybil to ride
to the college with him so she can use the car while he's at work. Was this
a normal arrangement at the time, when (I believe) few families had two cars
and relatively few comfortably off families had two jobs? We don't know
whether he always drove when they were together or she sometimes drove. My
impression is that there was some weak social pressure for the man to drive.
On Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 3:33 PM, jansymello <jansy@aetern.us> wrote:
>
> There is always a surprise when one stops to examine VN's words. For
> example. Kinbote wrote: My fall acted as a chemical reagent on the Shades’
> sedan..." and I wonder why he said "chemical reagent," since a fall would
> only entail mechanical, not chemical, consequences. Unless...?
>
> Literally, Kinbote's fall couldn't mechanically release the Shades' car, so
Kinbote is equally whimsical whether he says it happened mechanically or
chemically. "Chemically" might be suggested by the apparent mysteriousness
of the action, the way invisible events produce visible results in
chemistry.
"Reagent" may be one of Kinbote's errors, since "catalyst" would be more
precise; Kinbote says he makes the "reaction" happen, but he doesn't
participate in it.
Jerry Friedman
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<vanveen13@sbcglobal.net>wrote:
...
I never noticed that quote before. It's interesting, because later Shade
> waits to be picked up from the school by his wife who, late one day, prompts
> a restless Shade to accept a ride with Kinbote, as if he were usually
> chauffeured by Sybil, as Nabokov was in real life driven by his wife. But
> then John Shade seems meant to be very American, and having him completely
> attended by his wife as the blogger's grandfather recalled Nabokov's being
> attended by his would really stand out.
When Kinbote falls on the ice, Shade is driving, so there's no reason to
think Sybil always chauffeured him. It seems to make sense for Sybil to ride
to the college with him so she can use the car while he's at work. Was this
a normal arrangement at the time, when (I believe) few families had two cars
and relatively few comfortably off families had two jobs? We don't know
whether he always drove when they were together or she sometimes drove. My
impression is that there was some weak social pressure for the man to drive.
On Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 3:33 PM, jansymello <jansy@aetern.us> wrote:
>
> There is always a surprise when one stops to examine VN's words. For
> example. Kinbote wrote: My fall acted as a chemical reagent on the Shades’
> sedan..." and I wonder why he said "chemical reagent," since a fall would
> only entail mechanical, not chemical, consequences. Unless...?
>
> Literally, Kinbote's fall couldn't mechanically release the Shades' car, so
Kinbote is equally whimsical whether he says it happened mechanically or
chemically. "Chemically" might be suggested by the apparent mysteriousness
of the action, the way invisible events produce visible results in
chemistry.
"Reagent" may be one of Kinbote's errors, since "catalyst" would be more
precise; Kinbote says he makes the "reaction" happen, but he doesn't
participate in it.
Jerry Friedman
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/