But since we’re on the topic of PF, I have a query concerning Kinbote’s note to line 680 and his related Index entry. Here is the note, in its entirety:
Line 680: Lolita
Major hurricanes are given feminine names in America. The feminine gender is suggested not so much by the sex of furies and harridans as by a general professional application. Thus any machine is a she to its fond user, and any fire (even a "pale" one!) is she to the fireman, as water is she to the passionate plumber. Why our poet chose to give this 1958 hurricane a little-used Spanish name (sometimes given to parrots) instead of Linda or Lois, is not clear.
In the Index, under the “Kinbote” entry, Kinbote gives us the following: “his sense of humor, 680;” While there may be a touch of wit in Kinbote’s entry, it doesn’t seem to merit special mention. Am I missing something?
Matt Roth
All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.