Subject
A.S. Brown on Kinbote's Christianity
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Dear Andrew and Ed.,
There is definitely a theological theme in Pale Fire, beginning with the
middle names of Shade (Francis) and Kinbote (Xavier). If Kinbote is Shade
gone mad, then his use of this name could be seen as another attempt at
"commentary".
I recall the word "preterist" in the poem - - and isn't there a priest
(more pederast than preterist?) posing as one of the fingers of Shade's
hand? I believe those fingers are Shade's recollection of sexual shame and
the people associated with it. Perhaps Kinbote has attempted to turn the
priest's sexual ecstasy into the religious sort? Perhaps "Starover" (Old
Believer) Blue (lublyu?*) is somehow implicated? Aren;'t astronomers in a
sense the descendants of priests?
Carolyn
* (I) love
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There is definitely a theological theme in Pale Fire, beginning with the
middle names of Shade (Francis) and Kinbote (Xavier). If Kinbote is Shade
gone mad, then his use of this name could be seen as another attempt at
"commentary".
I recall the word "preterist" in the poem - - and isn't there a priest
(more pederast than preterist?) posing as one of the fingers of Shade's
hand? I believe those fingers are Shade's recollection of sexual shame and
the people associated with it. Perhaps Kinbote has attempted to turn the
priest's sexual ecstasy into the religious sort? Perhaps "Starover" (Old
Believer) Blue (lublyu?*) is somehow implicated? Aren;'t astronomers in a
sense the descendants of priests?
Carolyn
* (I) love
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
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