Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0008634, Tue, 23 Sep 2003 12:54:21 -0700

Subject
Fw: Fw: souci d'eau, Golden Ass, Beauty & the Beast
Date
Body
EDnote. I don't follow Carolyn's logic here. I confess that I hadn't
realized that "copperhead" is the name of the reddish Amaranthus Keith
refers us to. Lucette is clearly linked to the marsh marigold and the kizil.
I have inserted photos of both at the bottom. It would be a nice project to
make a web herbarium of ADA's plants and flowers> Anyone interested?
----- Original Message -----
From: "sZ" <keithsz@concentric.net>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (33
lines) -----------------
KEITH: Read 'our marsh marigold' as Lucette. .....the transformation of
souci
> d'eau (our marsh marigold) into the asinine 'care of the water.'<<<
>
CAROLYN: It's not that simple. First of all, souci d'eau, the plant, thrives
in
> the water, so if Lucette is identified with the plant, it doesn't make
sense
> that she would die in water.<<<
>
kEITH: It not only thrives in the water, it also dies in the water. The
wording of
> 'our march marigold' also echoes the wording of a direct comparison to a
> flower a few paragraphs earlier - Lucette as 'our darling copperhead.'
> http://www.cramersseeds.com/pages/amaranthuscop.htm
>
> Gold and/or plant are often associated with Lucette. A few examples:
>
> The lusterless whiteness of Ada's skin (at twelve, sixteen, twenty,
> thirty-three, et cetera) was incomparably rarer than Lucette's golden
bloom
> (at eight, twelve, sixteen, twenty-five, finis).
>
> 'Ménagez vos américanismes,' said the latter - and then opened his arms
wide
> in paternal welcome as guileless Lucette trotted into the room with a
child'
> s pink, stiff-bagged butterfly net in her little fist, like an oriflamme.
>
> ....the Crimean cornel, kizil', bloomed yellow among the arid rocks, bore
an
> odd resemblance to Lucette as she was to look ten years later.



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souci d'eau / marsh marigold/ Caltha palustris /kaluzhnitsa
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> Kizil / Siberian dogwood /(Cornus sibirica)
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