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Nabokov and McCarthyism (From the Archives)
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[EDNOTE. From the NABOKV-L Archives. Brian Boyd sent this message
(Subject: RE: Fw: bravura passage has Nabokov speaking very much in his
own voice ...) on January 10, 2004. - - SES]
> Nabokov was perfectly aware that Joe McCarthy was a dangerous
demagogue
and
> liar; Vera Nabokov in particular was incensed by him, because his very
> phoniness discredited the real need to take seriously and
non-hysterically
> the risks arising from the loyalty to Stalin's Moscow that Communism
then
> required. But Nabokov as always is careful with his words. He did not
think
> there was "a McCarthy era," which implies a whole nation was under the
> Senator's sway. He was aware of American diversity of thought,
including
the
> contempt in which McCarthy was held by many, even during the brief
period
> when he panicked some.
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(Subject: RE: Fw: bravura passage has Nabokov speaking very much in his
own voice ...) on January 10, 2004. - - SES]
> Nabokov was perfectly aware that Joe McCarthy was a dangerous
demagogue
and
> liar; Vera Nabokov in particular was incensed by him, because his very
> phoniness discredited the real need to take seriously and
non-hysterically
> the risks arising from the loyalty to Stalin's Moscow that Communism
then
> required. But Nabokov as always is careful with his words. He did not
think
> there was "a McCarthy era," which implies a whole nation was under the
> Senator's sway. He was aware of American diversity of thought,
including
the
> contempt in which McCarthy was held by many, even during the brief
period
> when he panicked some.
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