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[NABOKOV-L] An unsuccessful hypothesis on a "nasal leitmotiv"
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In his biography "Nikolai Gogol" Nabokov observes that is:"more reasonable to forget that Gogol's exaggerated concern with noses was based on the fact of his own being abnormally long and to treat Gogol's olfactivism... as a literary trick allied to the broad humor of carnivals in general and to Russian nose-humor in particular. We are nose-gay and nose-sad "(p 3-5). I thought it would be interesting to check in Pale Fire whether VN's references to noses might help the reader to spot Russians, or Zemblans, disguised as Americans...
Shade mentions "nose", explicitly, only twice: (67) the Persian shape/ Of nose and eyebrow, you have kept it all ...
(932) Old Zembla's fields [...] And slaves make hay between my mouth and nose.
In contrast, from Foreword to the Index, CK brings in the nose, but it doesn't really indicate "a nasal leitmotiv" ( although a freudian reference is a constant shared in Gogol's biography and PF, as in CK's comments on line 929 and also where they were applied to feminine traits (snubnose) as distinct from a male's.
Anyway, I found no popular Russian nosey-humor to help me along with this hypothesis concerning Prof. Botkin or Kinbote's identities*.
I noticed that both Kinbote and Gradus must have suffered from a congested nose ( nose drops, nose-blowing...), if the word "congestion" in CK's instance has a different meaning from "Thurgus the Third"s turgid and congested plum.
In Gogo'ls biography VN describes a childhood illness: "pueritus scribendi". I tried to find out what it means but, at least in the internet, I only reached Russian sites, although the name sounds Latin. Why didn't VN translate? What does it mean?
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* CK,Foreword: February and March in Zembla (the two last of the four "white-nosed months," as we call them)
Line 27: Sherlock Holmes [...] A hawk-nosed, lanky, rather likable private detective...
Lines 47-48: Into these roses and thorns there walked a black shadow: a tall, pale, long-nosed, dark-haired young minister [...]Sybil was alternatively huddle-shaking and blowing her nose
Line 71: Otar, a pleasant and cultured adeling with a tremendous nose and sparse hair [...]two girls...their kitten noses pink, their eyes green and sleepy
Line 149: A sleepy and sullen expression blurred whatever appeal her snub-nosed round face might have had for the local shepherds
Line 596:Gradus was a voracious reader of [...]the multilingual literature that comes with nose drops and digestive tablets;
Line 691: I looked around me with enchantment and physical wellbeing despite the congestion in my nose.
Line 894: Don't you see [...] the astounding similarity of features - of the upper part of the face, and the eyes, yes, the eyes, and the nose bridge? [...]
Line 929: [...] By picking the nose in spite of all commands to the contrary, [...]the analytic teacher knows [...]
Line 949: As usual he started his blurry daily existence by blowing his nose.[...]We see his melancholy nose with its crooked ridge and grooved tip [...] Gradus had recognized the great rugged frame, the erect carriage, the high-bridged nose...
Index: Thurgus the Third, surnamed The Turgid [...] stout and bald, his nose like a congested plum, his martial mustache bristling with obsolete passion
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Shade mentions "nose", explicitly, only twice: (67) the Persian shape/ Of nose and eyebrow, you have kept it all ...
(932) Old Zembla's fields [...] And slaves make hay between my mouth and nose.
In contrast, from Foreword to the Index, CK brings in the nose, but it doesn't really indicate "a nasal leitmotiv" ( although a freudian reference is a constant shared in Gogol's biography and PF, as in CK's comments on line 929 and also where they were applied to feminine traits (snubnose) as distinct from a male's.
Anyway, I found no popular Russian nosey-humor to help me along with this hypothesis concerning Prof. Botkin or Kinbote's identities*.
I noticed that both Kinbote and Gradus must have suffered from a congested nose ( nose drops, nose-blowing...), if the word "congestion" in CK's instance has a different meaning from "Thurgus the Third"s turgid and congested plum.
In Gogo'ls biography VN describes a childhood illness: "pueritus scribendi". I tried to find out what it means but, at least in the internet, I only reached Russian sites, although the name sounds Latin. Why didn't VN translate? What does it mean?
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................
* CK,Foreword: February and March in Zembla (the two last of the four "white-nosed months," as we call them)
Line 27: Sherlock Holmes [...] A hawk-nosed, lanky, rather likable private detective...
Lines 47-48: Into these roses and thorns there walked a black shadow: a tall, pale, long-nosed, dark-haired young minister [...]Sybil was alternatively huddle-shaking and blowing her nose
Line 71: Otar, a pleasant and cultured adeling with a tremendous nose and sparse hair [...]two girls...their kitten noses pink, their eyes green and sleepy
Line 149: A sleepy and sullen expression blurred whatever appeal her snub-nosed round face might have had for the local shepherds
Line 596:Gradus was a voracious reader of [...]the multilingual literature that comes with nose drops and digestive tablets;
Line 691: I looked around me with enchantment and physical wellbeing despite the congestion in my nose.
Line 894: Don't you see [...] the astounding similarity of features - of the upper part of the face, and the eyes, yes, the eyes, and the nose bridge? [...]
Line 929: [...] By picking the nose in spite of all commands to the contrary, [...]the analytic teacher knows [...]
Line 949: As usual he started his blurry daily existence by blowing his nose.[...]We see his melancholy nose with its crooked ridge and grooved tip [...] Gradus had recognized the great rugged frame, the erect carriage, the high-bridged nose...
Index: Thurgus the Third, surnamed The Turgid [...] stout and bald, his nose like a congested plum, his martial mustache bristling with obsolete passion
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/