Subject
Re: : Pale Fire & homophobia (fwd)
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From: TENTENDER@aol.com
I question no one's right to read, ponder and enjoy "Pale Fire," but see, as
well, no reason not to question its author's ethics. I must grant, as well,
that there are aspects of this discussion that may be a good deal more subtle
than any of us has yet quite grasped. At the moment (to make myself clear), I
am railing more against thoughtless list members' attitudes than Nabokov's.
The question now being, it seems to me, if VN was aware that there was such a
thing as irrational prejudice against homosexuals (as, considering how his
brother Sergei died, he must have been), why does he create a Kinbote who
seems -- among many other things -- to be supportive of such a prejudice?
And that is indeed an interesting question.
(Re: the homosexual couple in "Mary" -- there seems to be little if any
negativity in this portrayal -- but perhaps my memory is failing me.)
Christopher Berg
Tentender@aol.com
I question no one's right to read, ponder and enjoy "Pale Fire," but see, as
well, no reason not to question its author's ethics. I must grant, as well,
that there are aspects of this discussion that may be a good deal more subtle
than any of us has yet quite grasped. At the moment (to make myself clear), I
am railing more against thoughtless list members' attitudes than Nabokov's.
The question now being, it seems to me, if VN was aware that there was such a
thing as irrational prejudice against homosexuals (as, considering how his
brother Sergei died, he must have been), why does he create a Kinbote who
seems -- among many other things -- to be supportive of such a prejudice?
And that is indeed an interesting question.
(Re: the homosexual couple in "Mary" -- there seems to be little if any
negativity in this portrayal -- but perhaps my memory is failing me.)
Christopher Berg
Tentender@aol.com