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EAVES-EWES-EYEDROPPINGS,second thoughts
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JM: Lucette has been variously represented as "crucified" or as a "sacrificial lamb," this is why Alexey's emphasis on "ewe" and the Evangelists brought to my mind a particular butterfly and a painting, "The Hireling Shepherd" [...] At least once Van describes Lucette as Ophelia ( in a letter to Ada and Andrew after her death by water): "I know the unsoundness of speculations as to whether Ophelia would not hove drowned herself after all...even if she had married her Voltemand... In other more deeply moral worlds than this pellet of muck, there might exist restraints, principles, transcendental consolations, and even a certain pride in making happy someone one does not really love; but on this planet Lucettes are doomed."
JM: On second thoughts...( perhaps someone can lead me to works where the questions below are studied in depth?)
When Van writes about his half-sister's death to Ada and Andrew Vinelander, the context of his comment on "on this planet Lucettes are doomed" has an edge to it: did Ada marry Vinelander out of pity, thereby depriving Van of his only true love?
Why are there references to Ophelia ( & coupled to Voltemand) associating not only Lucette, but also Ada, perhaps Marina, to her?
Why are there frequent mentions to Elsinore and Voltemand, a simple "one-entry" courtier? Why Van's chosen pseudonym, for "Letters from Terra" is Voltemand (or Mandalatov)?
Voltemand's appearance is linked to Prince Hamlet's madness and Gertrud's oedipal theory [ Claudius. He (Polonius) tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found /The head and source of all your son's distemper./ Gertrude. I doubt it is no other but the main,/His father's death and our o'erhasty marriage] and Polonius' hypothesis about Ophelia and Hamlet.
Who is this unloved Ophelia & what does she represent to Nabokov, considering her presence in other novels?
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JM: On second thoughts...( perhaps someone can lead me to works where the questions below are studied in depth?)
When Van writes about his half-sister's death to Ada and Andrew Vinelander, the context of his comment on "on this planet Lucettes are doomed" has an edge to it: did Ada marry Vinelander out of pity, thereby depriving Van of his only true love?
Why are there references to Ophelia ( & coupled to Voltemand) associating not only Lucette, but also Ada, perhaps Marina, to her?
Why are there frequent mentions to Elsinore and Voltemand, a simple "one-entry" courtier? Why Van's chosen pseudonym, for "Letters from Terra" is Voltemand (or Mandalatov)?
Voltemand's appearance is linked to Prince Hamlet's madness and Gertrud's oedipal theory [ Claudius. He (Polonius) tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found /The head and source of all your son's distemper./ Gertrude. I doubt it is no other but the main,/His father's death and our o'erhasty marriage] and Polonius' hypothesis about Ophelia and Hamlet.
Who is this unloved Ophelia & what does she represent to Nabokov, considering her presence in other novels?
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/