53086472-pale-fire

ClassicNote on Pale Fire

Table of ContentsBiography of Nabokov, Vladimir (1899−1977).....................................................................................................i

About Pale Fire.......................................................................................................................................................3

Character List.........................................................................................................................................................4Charles Kinbote/King Charles of Zembla..................................................................................................4John Shade.................................................................................................................................................4Gradus........................................................................................................................................................4Aunt Maud.................................................................................................................................................4Hazel Shade...............................................................................................................................................5Sybil Shade................................................................................................................................................5Odon...........................................................................................................................................................5Disa............................................................................................................................................................5Professor Pnin............................................................................................................................................5

Major Themes.........................................................................................................................................................6The Artist, Art, and Criticism....................................................................................................................6Reality, Disguise, and Delusion.................................................................................................................6Exile and Memory......................................................................................................................................7Fate and Destiny........................................................................................................................................7

Short Summary......................................................................................................................................................8

Summary and Analysis of Foreword to Canto 2.................................................................................................9

Summary and Analysis of Cantos 3−4................................................................................................................13

Summary and Analysis of Commentary on Cantos 1−2...................................................................................16

Summary and Analysis of Commentary on Cantos 3−4...................................................................................21

Related Links........................................................................................................................................................24

Author of ClassicNote and Sources....................................................................................................................25

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Table of ContentsEssay: Pale Fire Pale Fire....................................................................................................................................26

Quiz........................................................................................................................................................................28

Quiz Answer Key..................................................................................................................................................33

Copyright Notice..................................................................................................................................................34

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Biography of Nabokov, Vladimir (1899−1977)Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov, most famous as the author of Lolita, was born on or about April 23, 1899 inSt. Petersburg, Russia. The eldest of five children, he grew up with his wealthy and aristocratic family, movingbetween the family's two homes (one in St. Petersburg, and an estate fifty miles to the south in the countryside).He enjoyed playing tennis and soccer in his youth, but also spent many hours chasing and collecting butterflies,a passion he apparently learned from his father.

Russia was under the rule of Tsar Nicholas II at this time. Nabokov's father, Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov,was a known and respected, and at times controversial, liberal politician. He was imprisoned in 1908 for ninetydays because he signed a political manifesto. Nabokov's mother, Elena Ivanova, raised the three boys and twogirls in aristocratic fashion, using several governesses and tutors who taught the children French and English,along with Russian.

In 1911 Nabokov entered the highly regarded Tenishev School. He was described as an arrogant and conceitedstudent who came to school each day in the family's Rolls−Royce. He wrote his first poem at the age of 15 andprivately published two books of poetry before leaving the school. This amazing childhood ended with theBolshevik revolution and the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. Political unrest forced the Nabokov family to leaveRussia for England in 1919. Nabokov and his brother subsequently enrolled at Cambridge University, whereNabokov majored in French and Russian literature.

Nabokov's father chose to move the family to Berlin in order to settle down. However, in 1922 he was murderedwhile attempting to stop an assassination attempt on the politician Pavel Miliukov. Nabokov returned to schooland graduated later that year, and decided to move to Berlin in 1923. He spent his time writing poetry and shortstories for "The Rudder," a Russian newspaper his father founded. Known as VN, he developed a followingwith fellow Russian emigres for his writings. He also met his future wife, Vera Slonim, a Russian emigre,whom he married in 1925.

Nabokov's first Russian novel, "Mary," was published that year, but received little attention. However, the riseof the Nazi's interrupted his growing literary career and forced him to move to Paris. He continued to write,publishing the novels King, Queen, Knave in 1928 and The Defense in 1930. He soon developed a Russian andFrench reader base that hailed his genius. The eruption of the war soon caused him to flee Paris for New York in1940, along with his son Dmitri who had been born in 1934. Nabokov was age 41 by this point, and althoughknown among Russian writers, he had not yet reached an English audience. Money was not a major issue due tohis inheritance, but he nonetheless chose to work. Returning to his hobby of butterfly collecting, he succeededin getting a position at the Museum of Natural History in New York. He was rather successful in hisLepidoptera studies, and his work includes the naming of several butterflies and the publication of scientificstudies.

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In 1941 Nabokov published his first English novel, The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, full of references tochess, a trademark that Nabokov used in his writing. He was also published in "The New Yorker" and otherrespected magazines, helping him to gain a reputation. During this time he continued collecting butterfliesduring visits to the Rocky Mountains. While on one of these trips in the early 1950s Nabokov composed hismasterpiece, Lolita. The book proved initially difficult to sell to publishers, but within a decade it was such asuccess that the novel sales, movie rights and screenplay allowed Nabokov to focus exclusively on his writing.

In 1961 he moved to Montreux, Switzerland, in an effort to escape American publicity. He spent his last yearspublishing several novels, including Pale Fire in 1962. The book left his readers shaking their heads inconfusion; it is a 999−line poem written by assassinated American poet John Shade, a poem which is thenanalyzed by the narrator. His work peaked in 1969 with the publication of Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle,the book he considered his best. He and his son also spent time translating his Russian works into English andhis English work into Russian. Nabokov remained in Switzerland until his death in 1977 of a viral infection,leaving an unfinished manuscript, The Original of Laura. During his life he had published eighteen novels, eightbooks of short stories, seven books of poetry and nine plays.

Biography of Nabokov, Vladimir (1899−1977) Copyright (C) 2002 GradeSaver LLC 2

About Pale FireThere is a major political context to Nabokov's novel Pale Fire. Within the chronology of Nabokov's works,Pale Fire was published in 1962, years after Lolita and The Real Life of Sebastian Knight. Pale Fire conjures upthe unreal world of Zembla, and one can't help but consider Zembla in terms of the transformation of Russiainto the Soviet Union. Certainly, the theme of exile is autobiographical, and it is also worth noting thatpolitically, Nabokov remained a Tsarist. He never condoned the Russian Revolution that forced his family intoexile, and he dreaded the Soviet Union. It is no stretch of the imagination, to conclude that Nabokov's sympathyfor King Charles stems from his own experiences of exile. His contempt for Gradus (who is assisted by theSoviets) is based upon his own political stance in favor of enlightened monarchy and entirely opposed toSoviet−style one−party rule.

By 1962, the Soviet Union was only growing in power and ascendancy, and its political hold on Eastern Europegrew only tighter. The triangular relations between the U.S., U.S.S.R. and Cuba only further dramatized thepolitical structure that Nabokov describes. Politics never comes to the foreground of the novel; rather, theconsequences of politics on the private lives of Charles remain the primary focus. Exile produces a sort ofnostalgia that becomes a form of dementia. Stranded on an alien and bitter continent, Kinbote admits at onepoint: "Solitude is the playground of Satan," essentially arguing that his intense loneliness has moved him tomadness.

Besides the political context, the literary context of Pale Fire is also well worth mentioning. Pale Fire isconsidered to be one of the antecedents to Post−modernism. This is mainly because of the focus on narrativestructure. There is a willingness to interrogate the narrator and expose the inherent fallibility of human record.There is also the tendency to expose the vulnerability and changeability of pre−recorded texts, whether they arethe poems of a next−door neighbor or allusions to Classical Greek mythology. The instability of the text forcesus to continually question truth vs. falsehood and exposes the hazy, shady lines that traditionally divide fictionfrom non−fiction. Perhaps for this feature alone, Pale Fire enjoys a prominent status on college reading listsdevoted to "Post−modernism." The novel also appeared as number 53 on the Modern Library's list of the 100greatest novels of the 20th century (Lolita was #4).

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Character List

Charles Kinbote/King Charles of Zembla

Kinbote is the major character of the work. He is an exiled literature Professor in a small New England collegetown called New Wye. He is originally from a country called Zembla. Kinbote is a deranged liar and his loosegrip on the truth makes the novel interesting. The novel Pale Fire is composed of John Shade's poem of the samename and a largely inaccurate commentary composed by Kinbote. Throughout the novel, Kinbote drops hintsthat he is the exiled king of Zembla, King Charles the Beloved. To the extent that Kinbote actually is the king ofZembla, it is well worth remembering that there is no king of Zembla.

John Shade

John Shade is the poet−professor who wrote the poem "Pale Fire." He is the next door neighbor of Prof. CharlesKinbote, who writes the commentary and introduction to the published version of the poem "Pale Fire." Weknow very little about John Shade besides the biographical information that is provided in his poem. Kinbote'scommentary offers information about Shade that is questionable at best. What do know about Shade is mostlyinformation that is skeletal in structure: we know that he is married to Sybil, that his parents died when he wasyoung, that he was raised by Aunt Maud, and that his daughter committed suicide midway through her troubledadolescence. Shade is accidentally killed by the assassin Gradus, who intended to kill Charles Kinbote.

Gradus

Gradus is an assassin hired by the anti−Karlist movement of Zembla; he is assigned the task of finding andkilling the exiled King. Gradus has several aliases (Jacques D'Argus, Gradus, Jack Degre, etc.) but littleprofessional ability. As assassins go, Gradus is extremely incompetent. With the help of a few Soviet spies,Gradus is able to locate the exiled king, but when the moment of assassination comes, Gradus accidentallyshoots at the wrong person. He is apprehended by authorities and soon after, he commits suicide in a psychiatricfacility.

Aunt Maud

The aunt of John Shade, she raises him into adulthood after his parents died very early in his childhood.

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Hazel Shade

The daughter of Sybil and John Shade, she was both highly unattractive and depressed. She committed suicideas a teenager.

Sybil Shade

Sybil is the wife of the poet, John Shade. While John Shade's poem suggests that their marital relationship wasvibrant and full of love, Kinbote's commentary suggests that John is unhappy with Sybil.

Odon

Odon is King Charles' bodyguard and right−hand man. He assists in Charles' escape from the palace and joinshim, for a time, in France.

Disa

Disa is the princess that King Charles is supposed to marry. She remains largely spurned by him however, as hehas little sexual interest in women.

Professor Pnin

A colleague of John Shade and Charles Kinbote who has contempt for Charles Kinbote.

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Major Themes

The Artist, Art, and Criticism

Perhaps even more dynamic than the conflict between Gradus and King Charles is the inherent conflict betweenJohn Shade, the author of the poem "Pale Fire," and Charles Kinbote, the expert who writes extensivecommentary on the poem. In terms of volume, it is immediately obvious to the reader that the critic'scommentary is far longer and far more involved than the actual poem. Kinbote really ceases to be a critic and hecreates his own work of creative literature, presenting a romantic portrait of an exiled king and a crystal land.The question remains as to which work of art is true; this is complicated because both the poem and thecommentary follow the conventions of their respective genre. The poem "Pale Fire" is a work of ekphrasis, inthat it is "art about art." We find that the artist John Shade primarily defines himself in terms of his artistic andaesthetic experiences. Likewise, the use of the written text in Kinbote's hands is much like Humbert Humbert inNabokov's Lolita, who writes as a means of immortalizing himself and his love. If there is any tragedy ondisplay in the creative lives of the novel's characters, it is the sad unhappy fact of too much artistic passionexceeding artistic capability. One can't help but genuinely pity John Shade at the beginning of his Canto IV,when he stresses "Now I will do that none has done before." His repetitive strains ("Now I willŠ") produce theeffect of someone trying to get out of a rut.

Reality, Disguise, and Delusion

Charles Kinbote is really at the center of this theme, as one of the novel's plot elements forces the question ofwhether or not Charles Kinbote is really King Charles the Beloved of Zembla. Either reality has been seriouslydisrupted and Kinbote is the exiled king of Zembla, or else Kinbote is dangerously delusional. Kinbote'sdescriptions of his rival critics and professors have a way of making him seem less honest and less professional.For that matter, Sybil explicitly states that Kinbote is deranged. The difference between the poem and thebiography that Kinbote produces also suggests that reality is difficult to understand and "know" in acomprehensive, satisfying way.

Besides the disguise of Charles the Beloved as Charles Kinbote of New Wye, there is the red−clad escape fromthe Zemblan palace and the one hundred look−alike Royalists. Gradus, the incompetent assassin is nonetheless,a man full of disguises and pseudonyms. D'Argus, Gradus, Degre becomes disguises that also refer to themeaning of disguise. Not mere pseudonyms, D'Argus and Gradus are anagrams. Gradus and Degre refer togradations of change, from one identity to another. Gradus' disguises meet with varying degrees of success inNew Wye. The irony of all of the efforts to disguise oneself is the fact that Gradus makes his way to New Wyequite by accident. When Gradus has the opportunity to kill Charles Kinbote (who may or may not be the exiledking of Zembla), he accidentally kills John Shade (who is definitely not the exiled king of Zembla). In the end,none of Kinbote's commentary can be assumed to be "true."

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Exile and Memory

Exile is one of the autobiographical themes that dominate the body of Nabokov's major work. There is, ofcourse, a major parallel between Nabokov (who fled the Soviet Union and eventually ended up teaching in NewEngland) and Charles the Beloved/Charles Kinbote, who flees Zembla (a Russia−like place, whose name is, infact, derived from that of a Russian island Novaya Zemlya). There is generally a combination of nostalgia andmemory−loss in addressing ones homeland. Kinbote remains full of nostalgia to the point that he sees Zembla,his "crystal land" in John Shade's descriptions of the wintry New England landscape. It is also worth noting thatKinbote is double−exiled, for after leaving Zembla, he moves to New Wye only to be ostracized after the eventssurrounding John Shade's death. He is literally writing the commentary form some hideout among the desolatecaves of the American West.

Charles the Beloved's exile is described as far more political, while the cultural displacement experienced byCharles Kinbote is much like Humbert Humbert's bewildering experiences in Lolita as a continental European in1950s America. The exiled individual in this novel however is less of a participant than Humbert was. Instead oftrying to get away from the Americans, Kinbote is trying to get join their midst. He remains disconnected fromthe larger community and he does not participate in the family−centered activities that dominate the lives of thepeople around him.

Fate and Destiny

The idea of fate and destiny is challenged throughout Nabokov's novel. The underlying argument that Nabokovessentially makes is that there are so many accidents (so much chaos) that it is difficult to thread a directconnection between "act" and "consequence." The most dramatic example of this is the murder of John Shadeby Gradus, an assassin who intended to kill the disguised exiled king of Zembla. If fate does exist, Nabokovshows that it is not determined by intention, but can be foiled by disguises and by human error. The idea ofdestiny is related to "purpose." In one sense, the exiled king represents the idea of destiny (dynasty) gone awry;on the other hand, Gradus, the assassin, is described as a man who is inept but full of purpose. His trajectorygoes from Zembla, through Europe, across the Atlantic and deep into New England, and it is described as theworkings of fate to bring murderer to victim. Logically, the concept of "fate" cannot really be proven or denied.

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Short SummaryPale Fire has two story−lines. One story takes place in New Wye, a small New England town, and the othertakes place in a foreign land called Zembla. John Shade is a poet and professor who lives in New Wye. Shade isregarded as a success within literary circles. Shade's final work is a poem called "Pale Fire." It is divided intofour cantos, and Shade dies before he writes the final line (Line 1000) of the poem.

The novel, Pale Fire, includes a foreword, the text of Shade's poem, extensive commentary, and a table ofcontents. Charles Kinbote is the author of the foreword and commentary. Kinbote tells us that he is a literatureprofessor. He was also Shade's next door neighbor. Kinbote comes from a country called Zembla, and he israther lonely in the United States. Despite the mounting criticism of his peers, Kinbote has decided to editShade's poem and publish his commentary as well. Kinbote's detractors suggest that he is without sufficientacademic qualifications, and too psychologically unstable to complete the work.

Kinbote tells us that he was very close to Shade and knows more about the poem than anybody else. In fact,Shade's poem is largely inspired by Kinbote's stories about his life in Zembla. Throughout the commentary,Kinbote explains how Zembla fits into Shade's autobiographical poem. Kinbote alleges many details thathilarious because they are bizarre and obviously false. One wonders whether Zembla even exists.

Kinbote's ultimate argument is that he is actually Charles the Beloved, the exiled king of Zembla. In thecommentary, Kinbote uncovers many of the intricacies and details of court life. Kinbote expresses thefrustration of having to choose a spouse (he strongly dislikes both women and politics), and he longs for theluxuries of the royal life. A coup has forced Charles to escape the palace and he has eventually arrived incognitoin New Wye.

Unfortunately, a man named Gradus has the task of finding and assassinating the exiled king. Kinbote explainsGradus' unsuccessful maneuvers. As secret assassins go, Gradus is a very poor one, but he inches closer andcloser to the king.

In New Wye, Kinbote experiences university politics first hand. Many of his colleagues envy the close personalrelationship Kinbote shares with Shade. In the end, Gradus makes his way to New Wye, though he ends upshooting (fatally) John Shade‹this, of course, was not his intention. Kinbote's gardener is on hand to swiftly beatGradus into unconsciousness. Kinbote takes advantage of the opportunity and he hides Shade's manuscript in hishouse. Kinbote then returns to the scene to wait for the police and authorities to arrive. Gradus soon commitssuicide while under psychiatric watch. Kinbote remains confident, however, that it is only a matter of timebefore a "bigger, more competent Gradus" will continue the mission.

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Summary and Analysis of Foreword to Canto 2Foreword: Summary:

The foreword is written by Charles Kinbote. In the foreword, Kinbote discusses a poem written by John Shade,a friend who has recently died. John Shade's poem is called "Pale Fire." It is divided into four cantos andKinbote offers extensive commentary on the poem later on. Most of the novel is composed of Kinbote'scommentary.

Kinbote is the sole "editor" of John Shade's poem "Pale Fire." Kinbote notes that this has caused some problemsamong his jealous academic colleagues. Though Kinbote is a literature professor, his colleagues don't believethat he is academically qualified or emotionally stable enough to function as sole editor. John Shade's widow,Sybil, is also concerned about Kinbote.

Analysis:

The narrative structure of Nabokov's novel Pale Fire is complicated from the beginning. Two of the centralcharacters are writers: John Shade, a poet; and Charles Kinbote, a literary critic. Following Kinbote's"Foreword" is John Shade's poem. Shade's poem is followed by Kinbote's long, extensive commentary on thepoem.

In several key ways, Charles Kinbote will become a parallel to Humbert Humbert, the character/narrator ofNabokov's novel Lolita. Humbert and Kinbote are both foreigners who are unaccustomed to living in'Smalltown, U.S.A.' The theme of exile permeates both novels. Pale Fire is considered one of the early novels ofpostmodernism because of the complicated narrative structure. Parody adds to the complicated roles ofauthor/writer, and in the end, the novel questions our understanding of what is "real" and "true." Within thefictional world of the novel, we are asked to determine what is true or false. The name of thepoet‹"Shade"‹ultimately parallels the name "Haze" (from Lolita) as a symbol of confusion. The details of whatis true and false, of what actually happened and what is imagined become shady and hazy.

Canto One: Summary:

Shade's poem, "Pale Fire," is an autobiographical narrative. As a child, Shade enjoyed investigating nature,especially birds, trees and their shadows. His early life is marked by tragedy. Both of Shade's parents died whenhe was young and so his eccentric Aunt Maud raised him. Shade remembers his childhood well. As he is writingthe poem, he is in his early sixties. Shade is both a poet and a professor of renown and he is happily married.

Besides giving autobiographical detail, the poem also dabbles in philosophical commentary. Shade tells us thathe does not believe in God and that he is generally skeptical of most schools of thought.

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Analysis:

John Shade's poem continues in the tradition of James Joyce's famous novella Portrait of the Artist as a YoungMan. As in Joyce's work, Canto One focuses on the budding artist and tries to explain how Shade formedhimself into a poet. The death motif is pervasive in Canto One: Shade's parents die when he is very young andthe images of "snow" and "shadows" sustain a somber tone. This tone is balanced by the idea of nature as alife−giving force. The excess of verdant images, variety of trees and insects keep life going on a smaller level,in between the discussions of death and mortality.

There are a few puns and literary references in Canto One: Shade refers to two literary figures called"Goldsworth" and "Wordsmith" and this is a revision of the names "Goldsmith" and "Wordsworth." OliverGoldsmith (1730?−1774) was the author of The Vicar of Wakefield. William Wordsworth (1770−1850) is a farmore famous Romantic poet. In a sense, Shade becomes a "wordsmith" by inventing these new names.

There is also a reference to "Chapman's Homer" and this combines popular and literary culture. The newspaperheadline refers to a home run scored by Ben Chapman, a player for the Boston Red Sox. The literary referenceis John Keats' poem entitled "On First Looking Into Chapman's Homer." In this poem, Keats discusses hisimpressions while reading Chapman's translation of Homer's great works. The importance here is that theprocess of reading and interpretation is confused. Names have been conflated and references crisscross. Lateron, Kinbote's reading of Shade's poem will make gross errors of interpretation. This theme of reading and"misreading" is introduced early on. Behind this theme, there are larger aesthetic questions that we can ask: Isthere a right way and a wrong way to interpret a literary work? How important is the author's intention? How dowe know what the author intended? These questions lead to considerations of the proper relationship between aliterary work and literary criticism.

Canto Two: Summary:

In Canto Two, Shade focuses less on his personal history and focuses more on his ideas and their formation. Heis in his early sixties as he recalls his "demented youth." As a young man, Shade believed in God and hebelieved that the "truth" could be found in books. However, he soon became a skeptic and as a questioner,Shade saw nature as something worth investigating. Shade believed that by paying attention to small details innature, he might understand larger, cosmic issues.

Shade remembers when his ailing Aunt Maud was struck by paralysis. One day Shade watched a bug land onAunt Maud's arm‹and yet, Aunt Maud didn't even move or seem to notice the presence of the bug. Shadewondered: Did Aunt Maud still "think?" His conclusion was that Aunt Maud was trapped in a cycle of trying tothink: "she sought in vain/To reason with the monsters in her brain." Shade feels compassion for Aunt Maud,even after she has died. Perhaps feeling guilty for disclosing this information about Aunt Maud, Shade takes astep back from his poem. He asks the question of whether poetry is an appropriate way to balance "private"images and "public" ideas.


For a brief moment, the poem focuses on pleasantries, namely Shade's long standing marriage to his high schoolsweetheart, Sybil. The happiness of their marriage, however, is blunted by the tragedy they suffered as parents.Their daughter was highly unattractive, non−social, and tormented. Despite John and Sybil's best efforts to helptheir daughter, the teen ultimately drowned in a frozen lake at Lochan Neck. Shade has little doubt that this"accident" was really suicide.

Analysis:

One of the main questions that John Shade asks himself deals with poetry: Is poetry an appropriate medium forphilosophical discussion, for remembering the past, and for grappling with grief? We might ask whether Shade'spoem still seems like a poem‹considering the fact that it is part of a larger novel. There is tension betweenShade's arguments on poetry and the poem's narrative role as part of the novel. We can understand this as atension between the inner and outer structures of the poem. Within the poem, Shade discusses the functions ofpoetry as a genre. But as a whole, the poem functions in a narrative way: it becomes an early chapter in a longerstory. Of course, if Shade's poem was more lyrical (complicated rhyme scheme, rhythm, poetic devices) itwould read more like an individual poem and less like a part of the bigger story.

The death motif continues in Canto Two. The reader should note that death has claimed both the young and theold: Shade's parents, Aunt Maud, and Shade's daughter. Shade tries to discuss life and the afterlife in atheoretical philosophical way, but these actual deaths in the family force Shade to come up with a theory. Shadeisn't just philosophizing; rather, he is trying to deal with details of his personal life. Philosophy and poetry aretherapy for John Shade‹these aren't mental or artistic exercises.

Charles Kinbote mentions Sybil Shade in his Foreword, but Canto Two is the first time that John Shadementions his wife. Sybil's name is derived from the "sibyl" of Greek and Near Eastern mythology. The sibylswere female prophets with divinely bestowed abilities to foresee the future. Sybil Shade is a reversal of thismythological archetype. By the end of the four cantos, it will be clear that John Shade's life is full of tragedy. Atno point does Sybil become a "Sibyl" who foresees tragedy (for example, the suicide of the daughter). Becausethere is so much tragedy in John's life, Sybil's inability to prophecy stands out. Of course, this isn't actually acharacter flaw on her part and we can't rationally hold this against her. Nabokov's argument is that in themodern era, "Sybil" is just a name. The Greeks could use sibyls as a way to get through life, get advance noticeon death, and prepare for the afterlife. In the modern era, John Shade doesn't have access to the Greek sibyls. Heis forced to look elsewhere.

In terms of female mythological archetypes, Sybil/sibyl provides insight into another trend in Shade's poetry. Inthe Greek tradition, there were many prophetesses (like Cassandra), oracles and sibyls. The male prophet (likeblind Tiresias) seldom appears in Greek myth: this vocation was almost exclusively female.

Besides the role of the prophetess, the role of the "Muse" is the only other place where we find an "exclusivelyfemale" group making philosophical or intellectual contributions. The idea of the female muse (usually a love


interest) recurs throughout western literature, but Shade's poem discards the traditional muse (he presents analternative in Canto Four). Much later, Kinbote will argue in the "Commentary" that he was Shade's muse.

Canto Two focuses on the strategies of poetry of philosophy, but the canto also provides indirect commentaryon "translation." When Shade tries to turn his private drama into a publishable work of art, he admits: "Howludicrous these efforts to translate/ Into one's private tongue a public fate." Shade's private tongue includeswords like "Aunt Maud" and "Lochan Head." This personal information makes it more difficult for the "public"to read Shade's argument as a broader commentary that discusses human "fate" in general. At this moment inShade's poem, "translation" refers to the difficulty of translating poetry into philosophy. The word "translate,"however, should provoke thoughts on Nabokov's own literary situation: Nabokov began writing in Russian (andFrench) well before he began writing novels in English. Part of the exile experience is literary, what is "lost intranslation." Of course, Shade's use of the word "translate" doesn't carry this significance. However, laterpassages of the Commentary will extensively discuss translation between three languages (English, Russian, andZemblan). In retrospect, these lines of the poem will become important.

Finally, a literary allusion to T.S. Eliot is set within an ironic context. Shade's daughter asks the question: "Whatdoes sempiternal mean?" T.S. Eliot is so famous (perhaps, infamous) for his deliberately obscure vocabulary,and Nabokov takes a jab at Eliot here. "Sempiternal" simply means "eternal." The word appears in the poem"Little Gidding," the fourth of Eliot's Four Quartets. The opening lines of the poem read: "Midwinter spring isits own season/ Sempiternal though sodden towards sundown, / Suspended in time, between pole and tropic."

One of the ironies here is that Eliot's concept of an eternal season is sharply different from Shade's abundance ofdeath and snow, shadows and ice. The more violent irony here is that a teenage girl who later drowns herself ina frozen lake poses the question "What does sempiternal mean?" The suicide of youth (in winter) can be read ascondemning‹or at least, exposing a flaw of modern poetry. Eliot's "sempiternal" poetry fails to communicate ina necessary way here.


Summary and Analysis of Cantos 3−4Canto Three: Summary:

John Shade continues his philosophical reflection on the word "if." The word "if" leads to the idea of a groupcalled IPH, the Institute of Preparation for the Hereafter. This is an academic or at least intellectual hangout, andin his young adulthood, Shade enjoys the group. As a newlywed, Shade was an itinerant. Sybil accompaniedJohn as his career took him from lecture to teaching stint to book reading. Later on in the marriage, the Shadeseventually settled down in New Wye, where John is a highly respected professor with tenure.

Shade enjoys remembering these happy, unblighted years. This sparks Shade's realization that he does not objectto death. Rather, Shade does not want to forget the details of life, even after he dies. "I'm ready to become afloweret," he states, but he refuses to "forgetŠthe melancholy and the tenderness of mortal life." Shade wants tokeep the memory of the good as well as the bad.

At the same time, Shade does not confuse this fantasy with his actual philosophy. Shade is conservative in hisassessment of the afterlife, concluding that one should not go into death with too many expectations. Suchexpectations are likely to be disappointed.

The Shades travel to Italy after their daughter's death. After the return home, John Shade goes on a book tourpromoting his new collection of poetry. At one of these readings, John suffers some sort of spasm, a heartirregularity. He falls and loses consciousness, but soon recovers. Despite the doctor's explanation of whatactually happened (a minor irregularity in heart beat), Shade is convinced that he died. During his few minutesin the afterlife, Shade saw a "white fountain." Some time later, Shade reads a magazine article examining awoman who was dead for a few minutes and saw a "white fountain." Eagerly, Shade makes contact with boththe journalist who covered the story and the woman who was featured. Much to his consternation, Shade learnsthat there was a typographical error in the printed article. The woman didn't see a "white fountain;" she saw a"white mountain."

Analysis:

The typographical error, confusing "fountain" and "mountain," adds to the theme of reading and misreading.Shade is reading properly here; the problem is that the wrong word is written down. Looking at John Shade as acharacter within the novel, we can see two characteristics that are uncommonly paired. On one hand, Shade isnot a social conservative by any means. In fact, he is somewhat eccentric and is willing to hold unpopular viewsthat go against longstanding public opinion. For example, Shade does not believe in God; moreover, Shadebelieves that he saw a "white fountain" in the afterlife. On the other hand, Shade has very high demands foraccuracy and precision. Shade's ideas may not be conservative, but Shade is conservative in his dismissal ofslight "error" and his demands to have a precise answer. The fact the woman claimed to see a mountain, does

Summary and Analysis of Cantos 3−4 Copyright (C) 2002 GradeSaver LLC 13

not change the fact that she claims to have seen something. Nevertheless, Shade rejects this potentialcommonality because they have not seen the same exact thing. It is important to understand how Shade is averseto error, inaccuracy and ambiguity. In the "Commentary," Kinbote will significantly alter Shade's poem, but hisarguments about Shade's errors and ambiguities won't ring true given what we know about John Shade.

Canto III does more with the death motif than the previous cantos did. We can see the irony of falling down(and into unconsciousness) at the pinnacle of ones literary success (the book reading). At this point, it is worthnoting that the name SHADE is an anagram of HADES, the underworld of Greek mythology. The phrase"Elysian life" alludes to Elysium (or the Elysian Fields), a region of Hades where dead heroes lived a peacefulafterlife. Specifically, the blessing of Elysium is that the dead have no memory or recollection of life on earth.This is in direct opposition to Shade's demand to "never to forget."

Shade agrees to the idea of death as a form of metamorphosis (changing into "a floweret /or a fat fly"). This iscloser to Eastern philosophies of unity and reincarnation, as opposed to the more thorough physical deathdescribed in Greek and Christian traditions. Shade doesn't want his death to interrupt his earthly life. As theForeword explained, however, Shade dies soon after he completes a draft of the poem. Shade's own use of theword "newlydead" (in opposition to "newlywed") doesn't foreshadow his death. It reminds us of what wealready learned.

"Hesperus" was the name that the Greeks gave to the Straits of Gibraltar. The Greeks believed Hesperus to bethe edge of the known world. The metaphor of Hesperus, as the edge of the known, is presented in IPH. IPHseeks to investigate and explore what lies beyond the Hereafter/Hesperus. "Fra Karamazov" is final literaryallusion of different extraction. Shade's poem refers to "Fra Karamazov, mumbling his inept/ All is allowed." InDostoevsky's novel, The Brothers Karamazov, one of the characters essentially claims that if God does not exist,"all is allowed." Shade is hardly focused on the implications of the hereafter on morality. Further, Shade doesnot believe that God exists, though he does not express anything close to Fra Karamazov's amorality. Nabokov'sworks frequently criticize traditional social institutions, and Nabokov was hardly a fan of organized religion.The character of John Shade proposes Nabokov's idea of religion and morality as discrete and potentiallyseparable: without believing in God, Shade is able to reject the claim that "Šall is permitted."

Canto Four: Summary:

In this final section of the poem, Shade interprets his task as a poet. He aims to "spy on beauty" and "try whatnone has tried." Shade's writing process takes two forms. "Method A" is when Shade thinks about his ideas andfinds the central words and phrases. This is a mental, unwritten process. "Method A is agony." Method B iswhen the writing takes place. Shade sees his pen as a sort of muse or "prop." The physical implement makes iteasier to think. Shade enjoys a routine of writing at his desk, in a structured and traditional way. Method A, onthe other hand, occurs randomly, often during mundane tasks like shaving.


Shaving makes Shade think about advertisements for razors and shaving cream. He despises them because theydeceitfully portray shaving as an easy, simple process. Shade then gives a long list of what he "loathes," jazz,bullfighting, bric−a−brac, primitivist art, supermarket music, swimming pools, Freud, Marx, and "puffed−uppoets" among others.

In the end, Shade claims that he needs poetry in order to understand life. Poetry is not one of several methods; itis the "only" option.

Analysis:

As poets go, Shade is not the best. Canto Four promises to "try what none has tried"‹but this is probably moretrue of Nabokov than John Shade. In terms of structure, Shade's poem is incredibly simplistic. Shade'sdiscussion of the "vital rhythm" ironically occurs in an irregularly stressed line. Like Shade's ailing heart,Shade's poem keeps an irregular, erratic beat.

Several literary critics have addressed the idea of "authorship" in dividing Shade from Nabokov. On one hand,Shade is a character within a fictional work‹but "Pale Fire" is the poem that Shade wrote. Plenty of booksfeature writers as characters, but in Pale Fire we happen to read what the character wrote. On the other hand,Nabokov is the author of Pale Fire, and the poem "Pale Fire" as well. For whatever reasons, the structure thatNabokov has put in place certainly disadvantages John Shade. Shade seeks to explain to us why he writes. He isa writer writing about writing. Kinbote's Commentary, as we will soon see, undoes all of Shade's work. In Line937, Shade refers to "Old Zembla." As Kinbote takes the reins from Shade, the story sharply veers towards"Zembla" and Shade's poetic concerns become irrelevant.


Summary and Analysis of Commentary on Cantos 1−2Commentary/Canto One: Summary:

Charles Kinbote does not offer commentary on Shade's poem as a whole. Instead, Kinbote adds notes ofclarification for specific words and phrases that appear in the poem. The reader quickly realizes, however, thatthese clarifications are not very relevant to Shade's poem. In fact, many of these comments may seem to bechosen at random. It would be hasty to characterize the commentary as random, though. These notes do evolveinto a pattern: Kinbote is telling us a story that he believes to be of vital importance. For better or worse, he hashijacked Shade's poem in order to do this.

Kinbote's efforts are pretty hilarious when we consider what an actual "commentary" might have been.Kinbote's commentary tells us less about New Wye, John Shade, and poetry. Instead, we read about a landcalled Zembla, learn a good deal about Charles Kinbote, and get some classified information regarding politicalintrigue in the land of Zembla.

Kinbote does occasionally make reference to John Shade. In discussing one of the poem's early lines, Kinbotedescribes the birds that held Shade's childhood fascination. The discussion of the bird then shifts to a discussionof Zemblan birds, and then proceeds to other Zemblan topics.

Kinbote argues that he is Shade's muse: he has taught the poet much about Zembla and, as a result, Shade haswritten "Pale Fire"‹a poem that is largely about Zembla. Because Kinbote sees "Pale Fire" as an inspired poemabout Zembla, he sees his discursive commentary on Zembla as relevant and perhaps even necessaryinformation. Kinbote helped John Shade to write about Zembla. So it makes sense that Kinbote is especially(uniquely) qualified to give us the definitive commentary on the poem.

In terms of Zembla, a few main "facts" of the story are established in the commentary on Canto One. The latercommentary proceeds from these main facts to fill in the details‹but the skeleton of the plot is presented earlyon:

King Charles of Zembla was the last of the royal line, having fled into exile when revolutionaries captured thegovernment. Charles is a quirky, enigmatic‹but likeable character who never really enjoyed the politics andstrictures of the monarchy. One gets the sense that Charles is almost relieved to be rid of the obligations (thoughhe misses the palace and its perks). Furthermore, the king's life is in danger. Though they have captured theZemblan government, the revolutionaries (Kinbote calls them "The Shadows") are intent upon assassinatingKing Charles. A man called Gradus (one of several aliases) must fulfill this mission.

Analysis:

Summary and Analysis of Commentary on Cantos 1−2 Copyright (C) 2002 GradeSaver LLC 16

As fictional characters go, Charles Kinbote is rather unique in terms of psychological complexity. From thebeginning, Kinbote's sanity and reason are called into question. At this juncture in the novel, our estimation ofKinbote's sanity depends upon whether or not we think Zembla is an actual place (within the fictional world). Ofcourse, there is no country called Zembla on our map, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a Zembla within thenovel Pale Fire. However, if Kinbote has invented Zembla, he is not merely dishonest‹he is delusional andprobably a little dangerous as well. As the novel progresses, Kinbote gives us more information about hispersonal history. And it shouldn't take the reader too long to catch on to Kinbote's heavy−handed hints that he,Charles Kinbote, is in fact the Zemblan King Charles in disguise.

Though there is no actual nation called Zembla, Zembla does bear strong parallels to Russia, which isNabokov's homeland. The overthrow of the monarchy parallels the Bolsheviks' termination of the Romanovdynasty. As described, the language, climate and geographic location of Zembla also bear strong correlation toRussia: The Zemblan phrases sound like Russian, or another Slavic language. Zembla is capable of producingRussian winters. Zembla is at the eastern edge of the European continent.

Nabokov took the name "Zembla" from a poem by Alexander Pope; Pope's "Zembla" is an imprecise referenceto Novaya Zemlya, an Arctic Russian island. In terms of narrative structure, Zembla represents one of the"post−modern" features of Pale Fire. Nabokov has taken details of the actual world and created a duplicate. Thehumorous references to Zemblan literature and translation are parody. In post−modern circles, Nabokov'scompilation of these "Zemblan" details (Russian sounds, Russian winter, Russian geography, Russian names,and Russian political history) is described as "pastiche"‹a collage.

This doesn't suggest that all Zemblan details correspond to Russia. Nabokov's diverse academic interests (forexample: Alpine butterflies, American media, British poetry) prevent Russian−ness from being a totalizingtheme. Zembla's "Charles the Beloved," for example, is the namesake of France's similarly polarizing KingCharles VI (1368−1422). Charles VI had two nicknames: "Le Bien−Aimé" ("The Well−beloved") or "Le Fol"("The Insane") and both are applicable to the Zemblan King Charles.

Ironically, Kinbote tells us that Charles the Beloved's reign from 1936−1958 was a "reign of peace." The factsof Nazi aggression, World War Two and its horrors, and the friction of the Cold War make it difficult for us toimagine 1936−1958 as a "reign of peace." Zembla seems believable as a "pastiche" or illustration of Russia‹butif Zembla is like Russia, how was this a time of peace?

Pale Fire borrows the motif of "synchronicity" from James Joyce's works. For the duration of the commentary,Gradus' travels are synchronized with Shade's writing. As the assassin travels westward, the poet moves closerto completing his final work. The synchronicity motif foreshadows Shade's death: Gradus arrives in New Wyeas Shade is completing his poem, and soon after Shade stops writing, Gradus unintentionally kills the poet.

Kinbote describes the long course that will take Gradus "from distant dim Zembla to green Appalachia." Thisspeaks to theme of exile. In Pale Fire and Lolita, Nabokov illustrates how the barriers of memory and language


complicate distances of time and space. "[D]istant dim Zembla" becomes increasingly difficult to remember anddescribe. Furthermore, as Gradus leaves Zembla for America, he comes into the light. Zembla remains vagueand mysterious, but mysteries unravel in America. Aliases and motives are revealed.

As an exile, Charles Kinbote is a parallel character to Lolita's Humbert Humbert (though Humbert is notRussian, but French−Swiss). Both Humbert and Kinbote are "unreliable narrators." In part, language barrierscomplicate communication between the narrator and the reader, but both men are psychologically unsteady.Over the course of the novel, unfolding details about Kinbote will strengthen the parallel: Both men arecontinental Europeans and social/political conservatives. They are both writer−teachers on the fringes of theuniversity establishment, but their academic efforts are complicated by insanity, and are pseudo−intellectual atbest. Trapped in a New England small town, neither man can play a sustained role within a traditional familystructure, but both men have nontraditional sexual interests. Both exiles become itinerant and go into hiding atsome point: Humbert hides because he is a murderer, but Kinbote is hiding from a murderer.

Kinbote and Humbert's similarities emphasize the moral confines of small town provinciality; the psychologicalcomplications of immigration and exile; and the proven vulnerability of social structures, like marriage ormonarchy that once seemed durable. In sum, both men are unsuccessful in their attempts to integrate themainstream society. One ends up in prison, and the other in a cave.

There are a few literary references worth noting. The word "stillicide" alludes to "Friends Beyond," an 1898poem by Thomas Hardy. Lines 6−8 of the poem read:

"They've a way of whispering to me‹ fellow−wight who yet abide−

In the muted, measured note

Of a ripple under archways, or a lone cave's stillicide."

Hardy's "stillicide" refers to a cave's silence (a death to noise), but Kinbote's stillicide refers to Gradus'murderous intentions.

As indicated in the text, the phrase "Pale Fire" does in fact come from Shakespeare's play Timon of Athens. Inan English−Zemblan−English translation exercise, Kinbote re−writes Shakespeare's phrase "pale fire" as"silvery light." The implications of such an error are vast. This error speaks to the theme of translation, andmore specifically, what is lost in translation. Shakespeare uses the word "resolves" but Kinbote replaces it with"dissolves." Kinbote's translation of Shakespeare "dissolves" the original intent. This is a parallel to howKinbote "dissolves" Shade's "Pale Fire" into something different. In this passage of Timon of Athens,Shakespeare's "pale fire" is moonlight, light that the moon has stolen from the sun. We might ask ourselveswhether the relationship between Kinbote's criticism and the original texts (Shade's and Shakespeare's) issimilarly thieving.


Literary criticism often enlists actual psychological terms and theories as a means of better understandingfictional human characters. The term "cathexis" is defined as a relationship where one person "binds" anotherperson to himself, and then defines that person by their relationship with and utility to him. Consistently, literarycritics have used the term "cathexis" to describe Kinbote's relationship with John Shade. (Sybil Shade later usesthe words "parasite" and "tick"). Kinbote is not mentioned anywhere in Shade's poem; for all of Kinbote'sprotestations, it is doubtful that the two men were friends. Kinbote claims that he and Shade were neighbors, butShade gives no evidence to substantiate this claim. Kinbote "binds" Shade to himself as friend and neighbor.Having done this, Kinbote tells us that he has inspired Shade to write "Pale Fire." Kinbote only focuses on thepieces of the poem that are useful and interesting to him. Kinbote makes a motif out of the poem's phrase "Icould make out" and writes:

"By the end of May I could make out the outlines of some of my images in the shape his [Shade's] genius mightgive themŠ"

Kinbote is only interested in what Shade's poem can be made to say about Zembla. Substantially portions of thepoem's "Fair Copy" are deleted and rewritten. Additionally, numerous passages are added on to the 999−linedpoem‹which Kinbote's claims is unfinished. Unsurprisingly, Kinbote will give himself permission to finish thepoem once he reaches the end of the commentary.

Commentary/Canto Two: Summary:

King Charles makes a breathtaking, narrow escape from the Zemblan palace. By the time the king is in France,a group of "anti−Carlists" called the Shadows is plotting assassination. The Shadows are bumbling andineffectual, however. Gradus, the chosen assassin, is particularly dense and inept. Again, Kinbote reminds usthat Gradus' westward travels (to find the king) are synchronized with John Shade's writing schedule.

Back in New Wye, John Shade celebrates his July birthday. Kinbote is sure that Shade would have invited him,but Sybil ostracizes Kinbote. Because Sybil is jealous of Kinbote's relationship with John, Sybil has preventedKinbote from attending the party. Over time, Kinbote has learned that Sybil would call him "an elephantine tick;a king−sized botfly; a macao worm; the monstrous parasite of a genius." Kinbote expresses sympathy for hisdead friend. Kinbote saw that John Shade was both "capricious and henpecked." Shade couldn't stand up toSybil, as she tyrannical determined who his friends would be.

Kinbote also mentions "Hazel Shade," the daughter of John and Sybil. Kinbote describes the daughter as a"poltergeist" who haunts the house. Hazel tries very hard to become an intellectual. At one point, she discoversa "talking light" in a barn, but this episode brings only embarrassment. When Hazel brings her parents towitness the scene, the "talking light" fails to show up.

Gradus spends some time in Copenhagen before leaving for Paris. By chance, Gradus meets a man namedBretwit. Bretwit is an old Royalist but not a very smart one. He talks freely with Gradus and confirms that the


king has, in fact, left Zembla. Midway into the conversation, Bretwit discovers that Gradus is not a Royalist andrefuses to say anything more. Bretwit does not know that Gradus is an assassin, instead accusing him of being atabloid reporter.

Analysis:

This commentary section takes the motif of synchronicity and incorporates it as part of the narrative structure.Kinbote tells us that the story will "become gradually clearer as gradual Gradus approaches in space and time."This indicates that the relationship between Gradus and Shade is neither minor nor coincidental. Thissynchronicity gives structure to the plot. Like other characters in Nabokov's novels, Gradus has a name with ameaning. The alias "Gradus" suggests obscurity: the presentation of Gradus is "gradual." Another alias, "LeDegre," suggests that Gradus will emerge by degrees.

Gradus/Le Degre suggests an obscurity or mystery that is gradually explained over time. On the other hand, thename "Shade" is like the name "Haze" in Lolita. "Shade" suggests an obscurity that remains obscure. "Shade"does not emerge nor become clearer by degrees. Kinbote's commentary fails to illuminate Shade's poem in asignificant way. The suicidal daughter is doubly mysterious as "Hazel" ("Haze") and "Shade." Indeed, the readershould note that Kinbote tells us Hazel's name‹John Shade never names Hazel in his poem.

The commentary alludes to Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson. Boswell's work is the definitive prototype of modernbiography. Boswell is renowned for his accurate recollection and attention to close detail. Kinbote's depiction ofJohn Shade is less balanced than Boswell's depiction of Dr. Johnson. Much unlike Boswell, Kinbote seeks tointegrate himself within near every aspect of Shade's life. Kinbote lacks the personal distance that workedtowards Boswell's credibility as a fair observer.

Kinbote injects so much of his personal life into the commentary that the lines between literary criticism,biography, and autobiography are blurred. For example, Kinbote offers a biography of the exiled king.Whenever Kinbote suggests that he is, in fact, the exiled king, the commentary becomes more autobiographical.

The commentary also mentions Professor Pnin, the main character of Nabokov's novel Pnin. Pnin blocksKinbote's chance of becoming a tenured professor. Here, Nabokov refers to his own ill fated though highlypublicized attempt to become a tenured professor at Harvard. Nabokov's chief adversary famously argued thathaving Nabokov teach Russian literature simply because he was a Russian writer, would be like having "anelephant teach biology." In Pnin, Nabokov's bitterness is on full display.

Again, the text alludes to the literature of Pope and Shakespeare. Kinbote cites lines that refer both to "Zembla"and a "king." Asking if the reader has "guessed my secret," Kinbote suggests that he is the exiled king ofZembla.


Summary and Analysis of Commentary on Cantos 3−4Commentary/Canto Three: Summary:

Shade and Kinbote discuss philosophical issues but they don't usually agree with each other. Shade does notbelieve in God, but Kinbote does. Kinbote also believes in organized religion, much to Shade's chagrin. Shadebelieves in moral relativism, that standards of wrong and right are truly different in different societies. On theother hand, Kinbote believes that a universal standard of wrong and right can be applied to every society.

Shade and Kinbote also disagree on aesthetic questions. Specifically, Shade makes two arguments that standout. First, he argues that there is no such thing as "original sin." In place of the "original sin" of the Garden ofEden, Shade contends that "L'homme est né bon" (Man is born good). Shade's second main argument is that"sin" is necessary for art, and the finest works of art tend to celebrate and illustrate sinful activities. Overall,Shade is a Romantic and Kinbote is a Conservative.

Gradus spends some time in central Europe, eventually leaving Geneva for Nice, a small resort city on theFrench Riviera. By this time, the king is long gone, having parachuted from an airplane and disappeared. Gradussenses that time is not on his side. He considers continuing on his trail without waiting for instructions. Graduscomes into contact with two Soviet agents named Andronnikov and Niagarin. Gradus is friendly with theSoviets and he is put in contact with a man called Izumrudov. Izumrudov gives Gradus a piece of paper withclassified information. The paper confirms that the exiled king is in New England, teaching literature under anassumed name. Gradus then eats the paper to hide the evidence.

Analysis:

The interactions between Gradus and the quirky Soviet agents are a farce. Extremely important affairs havebeen placed in the hands of extremely incompetent men. Andronnikov is a name that alludes to Russian history.Andronnikov was a man rumored to be involved with Rasputin, a famous enigmatic figure in late Tsarist Russia.Nabokov's political views are not well hidden here. Nabokov's father was very involved in reform movementsduring the rule of the last Tsar, Nicholas II. A desire for parliamentary reform is not the same thing as a desirefor revolution‹and certainly not communism. Nabokov held sympathies for monarchy, despite its flaws. Thissympathy is matched with a contempt for the Soviet regime. At one point, Kinbote (the king in disguise) saysthat "the one who kills is always his victim's inferior." While Nabokov can't argue that the Tsarist rule wasbloodless, the Communist coup and subsequent regime was far bloodier.

The argument about whether sin is necessary for art is important to our considerations of Nabokov's collectedwork. Nabokov consistently exposes the taboos and subjectivity of American small towns and totalitarian stateregimes alike. Nabokov's novel Lolita suffered censorship, even in a democratic nation like the United States.Here, Nabokov's response to censorship is that the body of sin includes many things worth writing about.


Kinbote draws a parallel between God and the Artist when he describes the artist as a God−like "Judge of lifeandŠDesigner of Death." This serves to emphasize the number of editorial decisions required of a writer, oncethe characters are in place. Kinbote draws criticism for his abuse of his position, however. As a writer, Kinbotehas the ability to "judge" and "design" as he pleases, but he has been arbitrary and dishonest. Kinbote admitsthat at one point he found himself at the "brink of falsification" because he did not like a section of Shade'spoetry. Of course, Kinbote has already falsified much the story. Kinbote consistently refers to the "Fair Copy"of Shade's poem but as a critic, Kinbote has been consistently unfair.

Throughout this section, there is a balance between the comic and the tragic. This balance is maintained even inthe literary allusions. Kinbote's term, "Hudibrastic," is a word that refers to a poem by Samuel Butler called"Hudibras." "Hudibras" was a parody of Professor Hudibras, written in doggerel verse. "Hudibras" fits wellwithin the context of Nabokov's parody of Professor Pnin and mainly Professor Kinbote.

The allusion to "Arcadia" is more tragic in significance. Kinbote borrows the ideas of "Arcadia" and "Dementia"from Greek Mythology. Arcadia was a town that represented the perfection of nature. To this day, the phrases"Arcadian" and "Arcadian rhythm" describe a natural utopia. Dementia was a personality of characteristicinsanity and delusion (dementia). Like Humbert in Lolita, Kinbote is a demented man who has found his wayinto Arcadia. Kinbote writes: "ŒEven in Arcady am I,' says Dementia, chained to her gray column." Thissinister combination of opposing images is a pollution. In terms of the plot, this phrase foreshadows the arrivalof Gradus in Arcadian New Wye. In terms of character development, Kinbote's personification of Dementia (asa chained woman who speaks) alerts us to Kinbote's own pain and suffering.

Commentary/Canto Four: Summary:

The last section of commentary brings the novel to its swift conclusion. Gradus leaves Nice for Orly Airport inParis. From Paris, Gradus flies to New York City, and from New York, the assassin heads for New Wye. InNew Wye, Shade and Kinbote are unaware of the impending danger. In a dining hall conversation, someoneasks Kinbote about his history in Zembla. When Kinbote is vague about Zembla, the person raises the issue ofKinbote's strong resemblance to the exiled king, also named Charles. At this point, Shade steps in and dismissesthese ideas. Much later, Kinbote is now looking over the dead man's annotations. Kinbote describes himself as a"weary and sad commentator" because some of Shade's notes reveal that the reference to Zembla is casual: "AtGreenland, Zembla, or the Lord knows where."

When Gradus arrives in New Wye, he travels under the alias Jacques d'Argus. Jacques is focused anddetermined to fulfill his mission. A torrential downpour makes it difficult for d'Argus to get around. Also,something he has eaten has given him a horrible stomachache and diarrhea.

Once d'Argus gets to New Wye, it is not difficult for him to track Kinbote to Shade's house. Shade has justcompleted his draft of "Pale Fire" and he is now sharing it with Kinbote. D'Argus gets his gun, takes aim andfires‹but he shoots Shade instead of Kinbote. Kinbote's gardener rushes to the scene and knocks the gunman


down. The gardener then takes the gun.

Kinbote looks at Shade's body and sees that he is dead. Kinbote then goes to his house (next door) and hides thepoem for safekeeping. He returns to wait with the gardener for the authorities to arrive.

Gradus is placed under psychological observation. Kinbote tells us that he went to see Gradus and the assassinmade a full confession. Not long after this, Gradus killed himself. Thus, no one can substantiate this part ofKinbote's story. Kinbote has gone into hiding. At present, he sits in a cave composing this commentary. Whilehe is secure for the moment, Kinbote does not doubt that the Shadows will send a "bigger, more respectable,more competent Gradus" to complete the mission.

Analysis:

Kinbote shows us that he was more interested in the manuscript of "Pale Fire" than he was concerned about hisdying friend. This character development explains Kinbote's indifference to Shade's poetic concerns.

The motif of synchronicity is resolved in this final section. Certainly, it is ironic that the deliberate"interlinking" of "time zones" would result in an accidental death. One could make the argument that Shade'sfate was to die. At the same time though, if accidental death is fate, there is little difference between fate andchance, predestination and chaos.

Another major irony involves Gradus' alias "Jacques D'Argus." The name "D'Argus" is hardly a disguise as it isan anagram of "Gradus." The name "Argus" alludes to Greek mythology. Argus was a watchman‹not anassassin, and another anagram of the name "Gradus" is GUARDS. The earlier commentary foreshadowed thearrival of "Dementia" in "Arcadia." In Greek mythology, Argus was the watchman for the town of Arcadia,ridding the utopia of pests, giants, and monsters. Argus was an ideal watchman because he had one hundredeyes; while some eyes slept, others remained vigilant. D'Argus is a double reversal of Argus then: He is not awatchman, but an assassin. Further, he is not perceptive but blind: D'argus shoots the wrong person.

The distinction between the person who guards and the person who destroys should not be lost. Kinbotephysically possesses the one "Fair Copy" of Shade's final poem. Instead of serving as a guardian, Kinbote hastaken excessive liberties.

Finally, some literary critics look at Kinbote's name (which means "king−destroyer) and take it as evidence thathe is actually the assassin, and that John Shade was actually the king. The mystery of the novel is neverresolved, but this shouldn't spoil the book. It is likely that the reader doesn't actually believe that there is aZembla, a Zemblan king, or a king's assassin. In this novel, the likelihood of Kinbote's dementia removes theburden of solving his mystery.


Related Linkshttp://www.nytimes.com/books/97/03/02/lifetimes/nab−r−palefire.htmlThis is the link to the original New York Times review of the novel, entitled "In an Elaborate Spoof, NabokovTakes Us to the Never−Never Land of Zembla."

http://www.iath.virginia.edu/elab/hfl0244.htmlThis is a short essay on Pale Fire in terms of the post−modernist movement that it immediately preceded.

Related Links Copyright (C) 2002 GradeSaver LLC 24

http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/03/02/lifetimes/nab-r-palefire.html

http://www.iath.virginia.edu/elab/hfl0244.html

Author of ClassicNote and SourcesJohn Burton, author of ClassicNote. Completed on September 07, 2002, copyright held by GradeSaver.

Meyer, Priscilla. Find What the Sailor Has Hidden: Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire.. Middletown, CT: WesleyanUniversity Press, 1988.

Nabokov, Vladimir. Pale Fire in Nabokov: Novels 1955−1962 (New York: The Library of America, 1996), pp.437−667. orig. pub. 1962.

Boyd, Brian. "Pale Fire" in Vladimir Nabokov: The American Years (Princeton: Princeton University Press,1991), pp. 424−456.

Kernan, Alvin B. "The Audience Disappears in Nabokov's Pale Fire". In Modern Critical Views: VladimirNabokov (ed. Harold Bloom). New York: Chelsea House, 1987, pp. 101−126

Seidel, Michael. "Stereoscope: Nabokov's Ada and Pale Fire". In Modern Critical Views: Vladimir Nabokov(ed. Harold Bloom). New York: Chelsea House, 1987, pp. 235−258

Author of ClassicNote and Sources Copyright (C) 2002 GradeSaver LLC 25

Essay: Pale Fire Pale Fireby Theoderek WayneDecember 02, 2001

Nabokov's "Pale Fire" fractures the traditional doppelganger story (as do other novels of his, such as "Despair,""The Real Life of Sebastian Knight," and "Lolita"), which often relies on clear black−and−white doubles(Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde" comes to mind), by coloring in the nuanced tones between the aptlynamed John Shade and his commentator, Charles Kinbote. Several instances blur the line between the two men;perhaps one invented the other, perhaps they are one and the same, perhaps they invented each other. This issomewhat irrelevant, as there is enough conflicting evidence for all cases to be made in Nabokov's detectivestory. What is important, rather, is that "Pale Fire," the poem, ties to the commentary − neither of these couldexist without the other. In the end it is art that carries through, not any man's personality; as Kinbote concludes,"Yes, better stop. My notes and self are petering out...My work is finished. My poet is dead" (300).

Nabokov immediately paints his convoluted double theme with a favorite pigment, numbers. Kinbote tells usthat Shade was "born July 5, 1898, died July 21, 1959" − he was alive for 61 years and 16 days (13).Furthermore, the second and third canto's 334 lines double (plus two more) the 166−lined first and fourthcantos. Kinbote, too, has an affinity for doubles, as revealed in the foreword: "nother tormentor inquired if itwas true that I had installed two ping−pong tables in my basement. I asked, was it a crime? No, he said, but whytwo? 'Is that a crime?' I countered, and they all laughed" (21−2). Nabakov is known for his distaste ofdoppelgangers; "The doppelganger is a great bore," he once lamented. Much of his fiction is devoted toadvancing the doppelganger past the relatively simplistic clash of the superego and the id in previous literature.His wordplay − even "ping−pong" sounds like the same word repeated, is often ironic and self−conscious of itsmystery novel intents: "...I was about to have a kind of little seminar at home followed by some table tennis,with two charming identical twins and another boy, another boy" (23).

Kinbote explains his purpose, even his existence, by arguing that authorial intent is meaningless without aguiding hand: "...without my notes Shade's text simply has no human reality at all since the human reality ofsuch a poem as his...has to depend entirely on the reality of its author and surroundings, attachments and soforth, a reality that only my notes can provide...for better or worse, it is the commentator who has the last word"(28−9). Shade's "attachments" seems an oblique reference to Kinbote himself, adding to Kinbote's presumptionthat not only is an author's work incomprehensible without adding a critic's eye, but that the author's life was,too, tempered by Kinbote's presence. Whether this is Nabakov's view is difficult to ascertain; given his mockeryof Kinbote's commentary − on why Shade gave a hurricane the name Lolita: "Why our poet chose to hive his1958 hurricane a little−used Spanish name (sometimes given to parrots) instead of Linda or Lois, is not clear" −it seems more feasible that Nabakov believed the original body of art, and not its layers of skin, should stand thetest of time.

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With its multiple pairings and confusions (one of Gradus's alias is Jacques de Grey, pointing to a possiblealliance to Shade; Kinbote's identity complex with Zemblan King Charles II), "Pale Fire" can be read as adetective novel of misplaced identity; allegorically, it seeks to answer the question of what gives art its artistry −here, it is not the poem, nor the commentary, but overall Nabakov's novel that provides the final synthesis. Afterall, regardless of inner machinations, Nabakov ultimately invented all of the characters.

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QuizWhere is Charles Kinbote when he writes his commentary to "Pale Fire"? A. Zembla B. New Wye C. Harvard D. Cedarn

1.

What is the "crystal land"? A. Zembla B. New Wye C. Russia D. Appalachia

2.

When does Charles the Beloved's rule as king end? A. 1936 B. 1939 C. 1945 D. 1958

3.

What is Charles Kinbote's other identity? A. Gradus B. Charles X C. John Shade D. Pius X

4.

When is John Shade's birthday? A. August 7 B. December 24 C. July 4 D. July 5

5.

Which of the following characters lives in exile? A. Gradus B. Jacques D'Argus C. Charles Kinbote D. Sybil Shade

6.

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Who allegedly stars in "The Case of the Reversed Footprints"? A. Hercule Poirot B. Sherlock Holmes C. John Shade D. Alfred Hitchcock

7.

Who attempts to commit "a frozen stillicide?" A. Gradus B. Charles X C. Aunt Maud D. Sybil Shade

8.

Who wrote "Friends Beyond"? A. Charles Kinbote B. John Shade C. Thomas Hardy D. Christina Rossetti

9.

From what text is the title of John Shade's poem, "Pale Fire," derived? A. Timon of Athens B. Man and Superman C. Damnum Infectum D. Two Gentlemen of Verona

10.

How does Sybil describe Kinbote's relationship with John? A. "parasitic" B. "symbiotic" C. "cute" D. "nauseating"

11.

Who lives in "the frame house between Goldsworth and Wordsmith"? A. Gradus B. Princess Disa C. Charles Kinbote D. Shade

12.


What does the Zemblan word "raghdirst" mean? A. "thirst for vengeance" B. "from here to eternity" C. "done anonymously" D. "crystal land"

13.

How does John Shade's daughter die? A. She swallows sleeping pills. B. She is hit by a car. C. She drowns. D. It is unknown.

14.

Who raises John Shade into adulthood? A. Aunt Maud B. Constance C. Disa D. Sybil

15.

What does Kinbote describe as "the playfield of Satan"? A. "Zembla" B. "New Wye" C. "Romance" D. "Solitude"

16.

What is Charles Kinbote's profession? A. Poetry expert B. Boatsman C. Shakespearean scholar D. Physics professor

17.

What color does Charles X wear when he escapes from the palace? A. Red B. Blue C. Black D. White

18.


Who offers primary assistance to Charles X during his escape? A. Gradus B. Kinbote C. Disa D. Odon

19.

What is the "real−life" version of Zembla? A. Czechoslovakia B. Nazi Germany C. Soviet Union D. France

20.

What is Gradus' profession? A. Janitor B. Revolutionary C. Assassin D. Professor

21.

Who kills Gradus? A. Gradus B. Charles Kinbote C. John Shade D. Disa

22.

Where did the "Edda" originate? A. Zembla B. New Wye C. Iceland D. Greece

23.

The reference to "Chapman's Homer" refers to which poet? A. Keats B. Yeats C. Swift D. Hardy

24.


Who argues that "No free man needs a God"? A. Gradus B. Fra Karamazov C. Charles Kinbote D. John Shade

25.


Quiz Answer Key(D) Cedarn1. (A) Zembla2. (D) 19583. (B) Charles X4. (D) July 55. (C) Charles Kinbote6. (B) Sherlock Holmes7. (A) Gradus8. (C) Thomas Hardy9. (A) Timon of Athens10. (A) "parasitic"11. (D) Shade12. (A) "thirst for vengeance"13. (C) She drowns.14. (A) Aunt Maud15. (D) "Solitude"16. (C) Shakespearean scholar17. (A) Red18. (D) Odon19. (C) Soviet Union20. (C) Assassin21. (A) Gradus22. (C) Iceland23. (A) Keats24. (D) John Shade25.

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