Subject
Re: SIGNS: First paragraph & the next...
From
Date
Body
>
> jansymello:"Why were these somehow extraordinary man-made basket, jars and
> jellies acceptable as gifts?"
>
Staying with the first paragraph, the parents hoped they were acceptable
because they were not gadgets and they were (they thought) dainty, innocent,
and a trifle, and not taboo. It was their guess. Nothing is going to be
acceptable to him (he's incurable) and everything will frighten him
(including his parents apparently). They find this unacceptable and keep
trying, they don't want to think of themselves as giving up on him, but
trying the wrong things. The solution to his problem isn't going to be an
object, a gift. But the parents think THAT is their problem: "they were
confronted with the problem of what birthday present to bring." His
problem, their problem. Perhaps they should have tried an "abstract"
solution. But they didn't know this. Perhaps they should have tried signs
and symbols, his language.
Barrie Karp
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
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
> jansymello:"Why were these somehow extraordinary man-made basket, jars and
> jellies acceptable as gifts?"
>
Staying with the first paragraph, the parents hoped they were acceptable
because they were not gadgets and they were (they thought) dainty, innocent,
and a trifle, and not taboo. It was their guess. Nothing is going to be
acceptable to him (he's incurable) and everything will frighten him
(including his parents apparently). They find this unacceptable and keep
trying, they don't want to think of themselves as giving up on him, but
trying the wrong things. The solution to his problem isn't going to be an
object, a gift. But the parents think THAT is their problem: "they were
confronted with the problem of what birthday present to bring." His
problem, their problem. Perhaps they should have tried an "abstract"
solution. But they didn't know this. Perhaps they should have tried signs
and symbols, his language.
Barrie Karp
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
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