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Re: Fwd: Why did Pale Fire's Disa laugh?
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----- Forwarded message from michaeldonohue@hotmail.com -----
Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 21:12:25 -0400
From: Michael Donohue <michaeldonohue@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: Michael Donohue <michaeldonohue@hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: Fwd: Why did Pale Fire's Disa laugh?
To:
Dear Carolyn,
Im not sure why it's so certain that the crown jewels are limited to those
three items. Kinbote mentions them, I know, but is there anything in the
text that excludes the possibility of there being other pieces in the
collection? I agree with your point that it would be nicer if there were
scepter-, crown-, and necklace-shaped mountains in the range--but then
again, if there were, the passage would be a lot more obvious. I would
venture that Kinbote is restraining himself, trying his best not to let his
thoughts about the jewels leak into his description of the mountains. He
thinks hes describing the mountains, but he has jewels on the brain, and it
shows.
As for foil: I confess Im an absolute ignoramus about jewelry, but I read
in some probably unreliable Internet source that paste jewelry did have its
day, even in royal circles. Perhaps a jewelry expert could tell us: is it
laughable that some 18th-century Zemblan emperor, maybe even Uran the Last,
might have added a piece of paste jewelry to the crown-jewel collection?
The "family jewels" joke, it seems to me, is more of a verbal gag than a
visual one, and so the shape of the literal jewels is not essential to the
gag. The family jewels are, so to speak, where the family jewels would be
expected to be. It isnt the greatest joke in the world, I admit, but it
amuses Disa. I would love to hear other ideas about why she laughs, but for
now Im sticking to this one.
Warmly,
Mike
----- End forwarded message -----