Subject
Nabokov and Foucalt Philosphy (fwd)
Date
Body
Dear Don and others,
Whether or not Nabokov read Michel Foucault's work, he was part of a
European culture and moment that included Foucault (born a couple of
decades later than Nabokov). Foucault's well-known book _Madness and
Civilization_ was published in 1965, and it's certainly not impossible
that VN might have read it or at least heard it being discussed.
And whether or not a creative writer reads a philosopher or historian of ideas or theorist (all of which Foucault was) isn't the only question in deciding whether that theorist's work might usefully illuminate some features of that writer's work.
This is just to say that, while Matt Smith's comment, included in the
attached exchange, doesn't include a very clear summary of Foucault's
ideas (and Smith acknowledges that he doesn't know Foucault's work), some
of Foucault's ideas about society, sexuality, madness, prisons,
subjectivity, etc. may be useful for exploring some elements of VN's work.
Foucault was interested in how societies and discourses function in part
by exclusion of what is perceived as "deviant" or "abnormal." How did the
discourse of madness as an illness to be treated medically arise? Why did
prisons arise? How did European ideas and discourses about sexuality
(both "proper" and "improper") arise from the Greek, Roman,
Judeo-Christian roots of European culture?
I can't imagine that VN wouldn't have been interested in such
questions--even if his answers might have differed wildly from Foucault's
(and Foucault's ideas are always speculative rather than definitive).
Given VN's use of "deviant" sexuality" and prisons as motifs in his work,
some of Foucault's ideas on these might indeed be relevant.
Marilyn Edelstein, Assoc. Prof. of English, Santa Clara U
(and, since Don seems to want such info., author of an early essay on
_Pale Fire_, a dissertation of which almost half was devoted to VN, giver
of several papers at MLA sessions on VN and elsewhere on VN's work, now
completing two Lolita articles; also teacher of both literature and
contemporary critical theory). medelstein@scu.edu
-------------------------
On Sat, 30 Oct 1999, Matt Smith wrote:
> A friend recently pointed me in the direction of Foucalt Philosophy on
> social order etc. In which he states that all sexual perversions are
> associated with mental disorder because our society creates such a
> world. My question is, did Humbert/Nabokov reference this within
> Lolita? It sounded like something Humbert would love such a philosopher
>
> -Matt Smith
>
EDITOR's NOTE.
The issue of "perversion" and "madness" as socially defined (if
not created) has been raised by readers of LOLITA. I doubt that VN had
this in mind and, even more, that he was a fan of Foucault -- unless
perhaps it was the one with the Pendulum.
Whether or not Nabokov read Michel Foucault's work, he was part of a
European culture and moment that included Foucault (born a couple of
decades later than Nabokov). Foucault's well-known book _Madness and
Civilization_ was published in 1965, and it's certainly not impossible
that VN might have read it or at least heard it being discussed.
And whether or not a creative writer reads a philosopher or historian of ideas or theorist (all of which Foucault was) isn't the only question in deciding whether that theorist's work might usefully illuminate some features of that writer's work.
This is just to say that, while Matt Smith's comment, included in the
attached exchange, doesn't include a very clear summary of Foucault's
ideas (and Smith acknowledges that he doesn't know Foucault's work), some
of Foucault's ideas about society, sexuality, madness, prisons,
subjectivity, etc. may be useful for exploring some elements of VN's work.
Foucault was interested in how societies and discourses function in part
by exclusion of what is perceived as "deviant" or "abnormal." How did the
discourse of madness as an illness to be treated medically arise? Why did
prisons arise? How did European ideas and discourses about sexuality
(both "proper" and "improper") arise from the Greek, Roman,
Judeo-Christian roots of European culture?
I can't imagine that VN wouldn't have been interested in such
questions--even if his answers might have differed wildly from Foucault's
(and Foucault's ideas are always speculative rather than definitive).
Given VN's use of "deviant" sexuality" and prisons as motifs in his work,
some of Foucault's ideas on these might indeed be relevant.
Marilyn Edelstein, Assoc. Prof. of English, Santa Clara U
(and, since Don seems to want such info., author of an early essay on
_Pale Fire_, a dissertation of which almost half was devoted to VN, giver
of several papers at MLA sessions on VN and elsewhere on VN's work, now
completing two Lolita articles; also teacher of both literature and
contemporary critical theory). medelstein@scu.edu
-------------------------
On Sat, 30 Oct 1999, Matt Smith wrote:
> A friend recently pointed me in the direction of Foucalt Philosophy on
> social order etc. In which he states that all sexual perversions are
> associated with mental disorder because our society creates such a
> world. My question is, did Humbert/Nabokov reference this within
> Lolita? It sounded like something Humbert would love such a philosopher
>
> -Matt Smith
>
EDITOR's NOTE.
The issue of "perversion" and "madness" as socially defined (if
not created) has been raised by readers of LOLITA. I doubt that VN had
this in mind and, even more, that he was a fan of Foucault -- unless
perhaps it was the one with the Pendulum.