> I suspect that all these enigmatic bio-math academic concepts (mirrors,
> duplications, redundancy, branching, asymmetry, disorder/order) are
> mirrored by existing philological terminology relevant to structure and
> morphology of literary texts, about which I know much less but other
> people may find it interesting to comment
>
> Victor Fet
Dear Victor Fet,
It occurs to me that the problem is one of time. Since a work of literature can usually only be experienced through time the idea of symmetry becomes problematic. On the other hand, in as much as the works can be contemplated as pictures hung in some distant gallery (which I believe is VN's image, quoted in DBJ's book) symmetry becomes possible.
My problem with the idea of Nabokov as an author of "novels full of symmetry" is probably in the awkwardness of the expression, not in the idea. Nabokov certainly makes use of symmetry in his novels, that I do accept.
I am further intrigued though by your statement that disorder is derived from order. Do you see this applying to Nabokov's novels? It reminds me of the old definition of comedy - - the restoration of order following disorder. So in art, if not in physics, this too becomes possible.
Carolyn