Subject
Is Krolik breeding or feeding?
From
Date
Body
On Jan 18, 2010, at 5:18 AM, Alexey Sklyarenko wrote:
I wouldn't build a theory on this, because elsewhere Ada gives a
different version of the end of her childhood passion for "everything
that crawls:"
"What had she actually done with the poor worms, after Krolik's
untimely end?
'Oh, set them free' (big vague gesture), 'turned them out, put them
back onto suitable plants, buried them in the pupal state, told them
to run along, while the birds are not looking - or, alas, feigning not
to be looking..." (1.31).
Alexey Sklyarenko
Dear Alexey,
You would not make a very good detective! It seems to me that Ada is
being more than slightly evasive. I read it this way:
Q: What did you actually do with the poor worms, after Krolik's
untimely end? (the interrogator is probably Van who suspects Ada of
several murders, Krolik's most likely the first)
R: [1] 'Oh, set them free' (big vague gesture),
[or 2] turned them out,
[or 3] put them back onto suitable plants,
[or 4] buried them in the pupal state,
[or 5] told them to run along, while the birds are not looking - or,
alas, feigning not to be looking..."
That seems to be five different things she actually did with the poor
worms! However I think there are only two (1, 2, 3, and 5 being
basically the same) and (4). Which do you believe?
Personally, I think she buried them (4) but not in the pupal state.
She buried them larvaely ("poor worms") with Krolik's still live body.
Carolyn
p.s.
Q: By the way, what kind of bird is it that can feign not to be
looking! R: A cat?
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I wouldn't build a theory on this, because elsewhere Ada gives a
different version of the end of her childhood passion for "everything
that crawls:"
"What had she actually done with the poor worms, after Krolik's
untimely end?
'Oh, set them free' (big vague gesture), 'turned them out, put them
back onto suitable plants, buried them in the pupal state, told them
to run along, while the birds are not looking - or, alas, feigning not
to be looking..." (1.31).
Alexey Sklyarenko
Dear Alexey,
You would not make a very good detective! It seems to me that Ada is
being more than slightly evasive. I read it this way:
Q: What did you actually do with the poor worms, after Krolik's
untimely end? (the interrogator is probably Van who suspects Ada of
several murders, Krolik's most likely the first)
R: [1] 'Oh, set them free' (big vague gesture),
[or 2] turned them out,
[or 3] put them back onto suitable plants,
[or 4] buried them in the pupal state,
[or 5] told them to run along, while the birds are not looking - or,
alas, feigning not to be looking..."
That seems to be five different things she actually did with the poor
worms! However I think there are only two (1, 2, 3, and 5 being
basically the same) and (4). Which do you believe?
Personally, I think she buried them (4) but not in the pupal state.
She buried them larvaely ("poor worms") with Krolik's still live body.
Carolyn
p.s.
Q: By the way, what kind of bird is it that can feign not to be
looking! R: A cat?
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
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/