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Re: TT-3: shooting drawers with pencils and pawns (ADA) (fwd)
(fwd) xXX (fwd) (fwd)
(fwd) xXX (fwd) (fwd)
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---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 9:41 PM -0700
From: Mary Krimmel <mary@krimmel.net>
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Peter Hayes wrote:
> 'Alas, the solid pencil itself as fingered briefly by Hugh
> Person still somehow eludes us! But *he* won't, oh no.'
>
> I'd be interested to hear what anyone else makes of this;
> my own understanding of it is that 'they' can't manipulate
> physical objects. That Hugh won't 'elude' them, then, makes
> them sound oddly sinister.
I agree that this does make them sound oddly sinister. It seems to me,
though, that this chapter is just what was promised, an illustration of the
difficulties of staying in the here and now when they are attending to
matter, material objects, man-made or natural. But Hugh is not an object.
In the following chapters the narrator gives us the story of Hugh with
relative ease. He doesn't need to struggle to keep Hugh in focus. The act
of attention to the pencil is filled with shots of everything but the
humble instrument.
Does this make sense? I think they can't manipulate either objects or
living people, but they can somehow manipulate each other.
Mary Krimmel.
---------- End Forwarded Message ---------
EDNOTE. Yes, it certainly makes sense. While not able to manipulate people
they do seem to X-ray them NB the final chapter's view of HP's digestive
process,
D. Barton Johnson
NABOKV-L
Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 9:41 PM -0700
From: Mary Krimmel <mary@krimmel.net>
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Peter Hayes wrote:
> 'Alas, the solid pencil itself as fingered briefly by Hugh
> Person still somehow eludes us! But *he* won't, oh no.'
>
> I'd be interested to hear what anyone else makes of this;
> my own understanding of it is that 'they' can't manipulate
> physical objects. That Hugh won't 'elude' them, then, makes
> them sound oddly sinister.
I agree that this does make them sound oddly sinister. It seems to me,
though, that this chapter is just what was promised, an illustration of the
difficulties of staying in the here and now when they are attending to
matter, material objects, man-made or natural. But Hugh is not an object.
In the following chapters the narrator gives us the story of Hugh with
relative ease. He doesn't need to struggle to keep Hugh in focus. The act
of attention to the pencil is filled with shots of everything but the
humble instrument.
Does this make sense? I think they can't manipulate either objects or
living people, but they can somehow manipulate each other.
Mary Krimmel.
---------- End Forwarded Message ---------
EDNOTE. Yes, it certainly makes sense. While not able to manipulate people
they do seem to X-ray them NB the final chapter's view of HP's digestive
process,
D. Barton Johnson
NABOKV-L