Subject
Hairy Hermaphrodite: Humbert's Hand (fwd)
Date
Body
Having now come across these alternative suggestions, masterbation versus a
literal "critter", I'm more likely to suspect that the sexual meaning is the
most "on" here. However, it always possible the secondary allusion to a
real critter could have been there at the same time, Nabokov being an
entomologist. But, compared with "congress" etc. etc. I think the purely
entomological meaning pales. Except it might be useful to point out here
that the"diplopoid" branch (several Orders) of centipedes are the ones with
big fat, pink, weiner-like bodies and very short legs, hardly visible at
all, and IN THESE, sexual contact does take place as a part of mating. So,
re the larger frame of reference in Nabokov's mind here, who knows. I
think it is in Ada that a character says she loves "everything that crawls"
and goes on to lay out some images that are obviously phallic re
caterpillar/centipedal like critters. Its fertile ground, that's for sure.
Kurt Johnson
literal "critter", I'm more likely to suspect that the sexual meaning is the
most "on" here. However, it always possible the secondary allusion to a
real critter could have been there at the same time, Nabokov being an
entomologist. But, compared with "congress" etc. etc. I think the purely
entomological meaning pales. Except it might be useful to point out here
that the"diplopoid" branch (several Orders) of centipedes are the ones with
big fat, pink, weiner-like bodies and very short legs, hardly visible at
all, and IN THESE, sexual contact does take place as a part of mating. So,
re the larger frame of reference in Nabokov's mind here, who knows. I
think it is in Ada that a character says she loves "everything that crawls"
and goes on to lay out some images that are obviously phallic re
caterpillar/centipedal like critters. Its fertile ground, that's for sure.
Kurt Johnson