Does it matter if a boy becomes a girl in a novel, or when the seduction by a rich relative becomes the story of an old sweet lady haunted by ghosts when we only exchange the images of one into the other ? This is to trivial > to engage Nabokovīs genius and his readerīs talents, as I see it.  The  importance lies in the mechanisms through which these transformations took place. The tactics of a "Word Golf" in the transposition from lame into lass or Lady.
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> Jansy


Dear Jansy,

You are indeed a true Derriderian. But I am not and I find this question to be of great interest. I do not know if Centerwall's theory is correct, but if it is, it goes a long way to explain one of the riddles Nabokov's work poses: how is it that the idyllic childhood painted by VN morphs into the sexually perverse literature of his adulthood? A very interesting metamorphosis indeed.

It appears that Jo Morgan is riding on Centerwall's back, and her faults are muddying the waters of this question. I would like to see - - on this List perhaps - - a reasoned and un-emotional rebuttal to Centerwall's theory.

By the way Centerwall is active, teaching English (see attached course description) at the University of Washington. He has a medical degree and is pursuing a Ph.D. in textual studies.

Carolyn