1

Claire Fahlman
May 3, 2016
Midterm
Prompt One
Many autobiographies are merely factual accounts of ones lived experiences. Memoirs
are one layer deeper, weaving a narrative of life experiences with personal voice and insights.
Vladimir Nabokov, in writing Speak, Memory, seems to surpass even this label with his work. I
agree with Brian Boyd when he says Above all, Speak, Memory is the most artistic of all
autobiographies. The autobiography, for Nabokov, is the meeting point of his chosen art form,
writing, and his personal life story.
This union of art and reality can be seen in the following of several motifs throughout his
memoir. As Nabokov himself said, the following ofthematic designs through ones life should
bethe true purpose of autobiography. (Speak, Memory 27) The most notable motif is that of
butterflies, repeated and elaborated upon throughout the story. As an adult, Nabokov is placed
under ether for an appendectomy, ether being the same means of killing butterflies he and his
mother used in his youth, and he envisions himself in a sailor suit mounting a freshly emerged
Emperor moth. (Speak, Memory 121) In visualizing himself astride a butterfly, Nabokov unites
an artistic image with the reality of the hallucinations he experienced during his surgery. This
union is repeated later, on page 139 of Speak, Memory where Nabokov stands among rare
butterflies in their habitat and loses the fabric of time. Here, he unites artful description and his
story in the most beautiful way possible. Nabokov is clearly not truly losing track of time. The
concept of time still exists, and despite the artful way he describes this scene, minutes do
continue to go by. Time can never truly be stopped. However, he is able to forget his concerns

2
and stay truly in the moment when he is surrounded by butterflies, the subject of his passion. In
the most powerful invocation of the butterfly motif, Nabokov compares the multiple translations
undergone by Speak, Memory before its completion to those undergone by butterflies: but
some consolation was given me by the thought that such multiple metamorphosis, familiar to
butterflies, had not been tried by any human before. (Speak, Memory 13). Here, Nabokov does
three things. First, Nabokov invokes the imagery of butterflies for the first time in the memoir,
comparing their transformational beauty to that of his book. This comparison allows Nabokov to
weave an element of art deeper into his memoir. Second, Nabokov reveals his ego by telling the
reader that he has done what no human has done before.
Another place in which Nabokov has written art into his memoir is in the portrayal of his
mother. She becomes not only Nabokovs mother figure, but also a more mythical being in the
way she is described. Nabokov imagines her as being able to sense the future: As if feeling that
in a few years the tangible part of her world would perish, she cultivated an extraordinary
consciousness of the various time marks distributed throughout our country palace. (Speak,
Memory 40) Although it is impossible for her to possibly know what the future had in store for
her, including the fact that the family estate in Vyra would be seized, Nabokovs mother
cherishes each part of the estate and instills in Nabokov the same value. In this quote, Nabokov
brings the earlier past of the estate into the foreground. He wasnt there when his father
proposed, but he describes the place where this event occurred as told by his mother with such
great passion that one would believe he was there himself. This love for the estate and the family
history held there is taught to Nabokov by his mother, pulling him so deeply in love with Vyra
that no later home would suffice in comparison. This motif is extended when Nabokov describes
the bedtime routine carried out by his mother and him. Each night, she would read a bedtime

3
story to him, and as she turned each page she would place upon it her hand, with its familiar
pigeon-blood ruby and diamond ring (within the limpid facets of which, had I been a better
crystal-gazer, I might have seen a room, people, lights, trees in the rain a whole period of
migr life for which that right was to pay). (Speak, Memory 81) In this quote, Nabokovs
mother possesses a ring which could show Nabokov the future, if he looked closely enough.
Here Nabokov also manages to weave hints of the migr future coming ever closer to his family
into a nightly event which is described as taking place years before the Nabokov family could
have any idea of what was to be their fate. The imagery of crystal gazing adds another element of
the supernatural to Nabokovs mother, making her seem more like a painting than a regular
woman and mother. Nabokov goes on to liken his mother to a band of traveling players, who
carry with them everywhere, while they still remember their lines, a windy heath, a misty castle,
an enchanted island, so she had with her all that her soul had stored. (50) This quote is artistic, it
is beautiful, and it brings Nabokovs mother out of the regular and places her in an imagined
world, one where traveling players are imagined in her likeness. The qualities attributed to
Nabokovs mother and her surroundings both show his love for her and elevate the artistic nature
of the memoir.
Nabokovs many sicknesses as a child also serve as an opportunity for him to bring out
the artistic qualities of his book. He describes his childhood aptitude for math as playing a
horrible part in tussles with quinsy or scarlet fever, when I felt enormous spheres and huge
numbers swell relentlessly in my aching brain. (37) This description creates a strong visual of
the lightheadedness and confusion of being young, scared and sick. The swelling of numbers and
spheres, while not physically occurring, perfectly invokes the feverish, sickly feeling of the
moment. Later in the same paragraph, Nabokov goes on to describe the monsters that thrived on

4
my [Nabokovs] delirium, and the only way to prevent them from crowding me [Nabokov] out of
myself [Nabokov] was to kill them by extracting their hearts. (Speak, Memory 37) This union of
the imagery of the imagined monsters or hallucinations of his sicknesses with the actual events
taking place during his illness shows Nabokovs ability to create an incredibly artistic and yet
factually relevant memoir. Later, Nabokov goes on to describe an out of body experience that
occurs during one of the same sicknesses: but through the crystal of my strangely translucent
state I vividly visualized her driving away down Morskaya Street toward Nevski Avenue.
(Speak, Memory 37) Did Nabokov truly see his mother as she drove down the streets of St
Petersburg to buy him the daily gift he had come to expect during his illnesses? Perhaps yes,
perhaps no, but in either case the imagery is beautiful. The description serves both to deepen the
impression of how ill Nabokov truly was and to bring into focus how important the relationship
between Nabokov and his mother was to him. The artistic wording surrounding his illnesses
allows him to cast a charm upon the reader, bringing them into the bedroom a young, sick
Nabokov lay in, visualizing his mothers trip to the store.
Nabokov is not just recounting the story of his youth in Speak, Memory. In addition to
relating the tales of his childhood to the reader, Nabokov creates a work of art by uniting the true
events of his life with fantastic wording, adding drama and conjuring powerful visuals. By
invoking and elaborating upon the motif of butterflies throughout the memoir, Nabokov is both
describing the birth of his passion for the study and capture of butterflies and depicting the theme
of transformation which butterflies have come to represent. Nabokovs artistic nature comes
through in his description of his mother as well, not jut as a woman but also as a strong, lasting
soul who impressed upon him the importance of personal history. Perhaps most impressively,

5
Nabokov brings together his childhood illnesses with elements of magic. Each of these artistic
choices show Nabokovs artistic ability and the power Speak, Memory has as a work of art.

6
Prompt Two
Pnin, the main character in Pnin, a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, is described in differing
ways throughout the book. On one side, Pnin is described as a clown-like man, unable to conduct
himself in the same manner as the rest of the characters in the book. He is a terrible driver, and
cant follow the rules of the road. Pnin also struggles with speaking clearly, causing many
entertaining scenarios with his broken English. His difficulty with the English language also
leads to trouble understanding American life in general. On the other hand, Pnin is described by
many of his friends, coworkers, and even the narrator as noble and heroic. This dichotomy in
description illustrates the difference between the confused, bumbling alien Pnin and the
dignified exile Pnin.
The difference between Pnin as an alien and Pnin as an exile can be seen in how he
interacts with conflict. Pnin and his ex wife, Liza, have a very strained relationship. When she
shows up to his new home near Waindell college and demands child support for the child she
conceived while cheating on him, Pnin finds himself helplessly under her control. He knows this
about himself, but is powerless to stop it. Pnin even worries about whether or not the same thing
will happen to him after his death: if people are reunited in Heaven (I dont believe it, but
suppose), then how shall I stop it from creeping upon me, over me, that shriveled, helpless, lame
thing her soul? (Pnin, 58) He is powerless in front of her, a fact that Liza takes full advantage of
when asking for his monetary support. Indeed, when she leaves after breaking his heart yet again,
Pnin is found completely despondent by Joan Clements: I haf nofing, wailed Pnin between
loud, damp sniffs, I haf nofing left, nofing, nofing! (Pnin, 61) In this scene, Pnin is playing the
role of the alien. He is out of control of his world, and nothing makes sense to him. His
wellbeing and emotional stability are entirely in the hands of others. However, near the end of

7
the novel, Pnin becomes an example of a noble exile. When Pnin is told that his professorship is
being terminated at Waindell college, he reacts with dignity and pride. Instead of becoming
despondent, he takes matters into his own hands: Dear Hagen, he wrote in his clear firm hand,
permit me to recaputulate (crossed out) recapitulate the conversation we had tonight. It, I must
confess, somewhat astonished me. If I had the honor to correctly understand you, you said
(Pnin, 173) Here, Pnin is clearly in control of the situation. Although Hagen has told him that his
position is not likely to be renewed, Pnin is not panicking. Instead, he is calmly writing a letter of
resignation, leaving on his own terms. He clearly has a sense of pride, and isnt allowing his life
to be dictated by the will of others. In this case, he is Pnin the exile.
The way mockery of Pnin is presented also illustrates the difference between him as an
exile and him as an alien. In the beginning of the novel, shortly after Pnin has moved into the
Clements home, the guests of a dinner party are being entertained by an imitation of Pnin when
he enters the room unexpectedly: Jack Cockerell, head of the English Department, who, with
his back to Pnin, was entertaining Mrs. Hagen and Mrs. Blorenge with his famous act he being
one of the greatest, if not the greatest, mimics of Pnin on the campus. (Pnin, 36) Not only are
the guests enjoying the show, but they are also enjoying it under Pnins very nose. Pnin doesnt
even notice that he is being made fun of, as he has come down to complain about the heat of his
room and not to socialize. The cruelty and pointed humor of the situation shows how much of an
alien Pnin is in this scene, unable to recognize that he is the butt of Jack Cockerells joke.
However, at the end of the book, there is a scene in which the role of Jack Cockerells jokes are
reversed. The narrator, upon arriving in Waindell, stays with the Cockerells, and is not impressed
by Cockerells impression of Pnin: Finally the whole thing grew to be such a bore that I fell to
wondering if by some poetical vengeance this Pnin business had not become with Cockerell the

8
kind of fatal obsession which substitutes its own victim for that of the initial ridicule. (Pnin,
189) Unlike the earlier scene, this mockery is not welcomed by the audience (although the
narrator does credit the imitations on their accuracy). In fact, the narrator wants to go to bed to
avoid the mockery. He even notes that the impersonations are taking their toll on the
impersonator himself, causing him to both resemble Pnin and assume his mocked social station.
Whats more, the characterizations arent even correct. At the very end of the novel, Cockerell
does an impression of Pnin arriving at the Cremona Womens Club and realizing he has the
wrong speech. In fact, Pnin had the correct lecture all along, although he did confuse the train
schedule.
The way Pnin is presented in the beginning and end of the novel also illustrate both the
alien and exile versions of Pnin, In the beginning of the novel, Pnin is confused and disheveled.
He is taking the wrong train to a guest lecture he is giving: Unfortunately for Pnin, his timetable
was five years old and obsolete. (Pnin, 9) Pnin, as his alien self, has no idea that he is wrong.
Indeed, he thinks hes saving time by taking the wrong train. When he finally is told that hes on
the wrong train, he is despondent. Pnins journey had been carefully planned, and if it had gone
as he had planned, it would have allowed him to navigate the American train system without fail.
His portrayal as a fool, unaware of his own wrongheaded behavior, is the epitome of alien Pnin.
Upon his exit, however, Pnin is portrayed in an entirely different light. He has just quit his job on
his own terms, and is driving off into an uncertain future: Then the little little sedan boldly
swung past the front truck and, free at last, spurted up the shining road, which one could make
out narrowing to a thread of gold in the soft mist where hill after hill made beauty of distance,
and where there was simply no saying what miracle might happen. (Pnin, 191) He is able to
escape into the future without even acknowledging the narrator, with whom he has a conflict

9
over his ex wife. This exit is noble, and bold, just as the motion of his sedan is described as it
passes a truck. As the exile, Pnin is able to leave on a strong point, finally his own man.
This split between Pnin the alien and Pnin the exile is a sign of the evolution of the novel
as it was written. The two Pnins, one a loveable idiot and one an independent, adult man, coexist
in a negative correlation. As Pnin the exile appears more and more, Pnin the alien wanes. This
occurs as Nabokov himself grew fonder of Pnin. Indeed, Nabokov originally intended to kill
Pnin off towards the end of the novel, as the narrator, VN, arrived in Waindell to lecture on
Russian literature, while poor Pnin dies, with everything unsettled and uncompleted. (Pniniad,
47) In this quote, Nabokov shows that Pnin is just as trivial and unimportant to his own creator
as he is to the other characters in the book. The Pnin Nabokov intends to kill is the Pnin who
appears most at the beginning of the novel, Pnin the alien. He is uncomfortable and unsettled,
just like his demise was supposed to be. As Pnin becomes more and more of an exile, as opposed
to an alien, he becomes less and less of a comedic, lighthearted character and more of a strong
individual, making his own way in the world. This is due at least in part to the structure of the
novel. Originally, it was meant to be published as separate vignettes, which on some level is a
less committed form for Pnin to exist within. However, as Pnin the novel took complete shape,
Pnin the exile came into being as a more permanent, impactful character: Thus Pnin-the-Exile,
who survives and even triumphs in the end, already belongs to the novel, which had to become
more than merely the sum of the published vignettes. (Pniniad, 48) By the end of the novel,
Pnin the alien is gone and Pnin the exile is victorious. Through differences in conflictmanagement, the way mockery of him is accepted or rejected, and his description upon his
entrance and exit into the novel are accepted, the transition between Pnin being mostly an alien
and Pnin being mostly an exile can be seen.

10
Prompt Three
In the novel Pnin, squirrels are a prominent motif. They appear again and again, sprinkled
around the main character throughout the book. When he is ill, when things go wrong, and even
when things go very right, squirrels are present. As a child, Pnin was treated by a pediatrician
named Belochkin. Squirrel, in Russian, is pronounced belka, drawing a comparison between the
name of the doctor and the word squirrel. Later in the novel, it is revealed that Pnins first love
was Mira Belochkin, the daughter of his pediatrician. Mira is killed in the holocaust, years after
she and Pnin parted ways. In the novel, each time a squirrel is shown, it represents Pnins young
love watching over him at his most vulnerable moments.
Often when Pnin is going through a personal trial, squirrels are present. As a child, Pnin
fell ill and was treated by Doctor Belochkin: His mother took his temperature, looked at her
child with a kind of stupefaction, and immediately called her husbands best friend, the
pediatrician Belochkin. (Pnin, 22) As already mentioned, the name Belochkin is similar to the
Russian word for squirrel, implying that in his sickness, Pnin is being treated by a squirrel.
Indeed, he also sees a squirrel in a section of polished wood in his room, among other shapes:
an old man hunched up on a bench, and a squirrel holding a reddish object in its front paws.
(Pnin, 24) Pnin spends his illness trying to resolve the identity of the reddish object in the
squirrels paws. In this illness, Pnin is both treated and distracted by the caring presence of a
squirrel. As an adult, Pnin is prone to seizures. In the opening chapter of the novel, a squirrel is
present as he comes out of his trance: A gray squirrel sitting on comfortable haunches on the
ground before him was sampling a peach stone. (25) Here, Pnin has finally come out of his
seizure, and is immediately greeted by the familiar sight of a squirrel. The squirrel is carrying on
its usual life, gnawing on a peach pit, and its presence is calming. Squirrels are not only present

11
for Pnins moments of physical illness. When his ex-wife, Liza, comes to visit, she leaves Pnin
emotionally depleted. She has continued her pattern of taking all that Pnin has to give her by
asking for him to support her son, Victor, who was the result of an affair she had while married to
him. After he has walked her out to her car, Pnin spies a squirrel near a drinking spout in need of
water. He helps it, despite his state of emotional distress: She has a fever, perhaps, thought
Pnin, weeping quietly and freely, and all the time politely pressing the contraption down while
trying not to meet the unpleasant eye fixed upon him. (Pnin, 58) Pnin cares for the squirrel
regardless of his personal state of mind, and although the squirrel isnt appreciative (similar to
Liza), Pnin is able to safely free his tears. In this way, at his sickest and lowest times, squirrels
are a constant, watchful presence in Pnins life. The watchful, albeit unpleasant, eye fixed upon
him seems to be Mira looking out for Pnin long after she is gone.
Squirrels are also a sign of Pnins personal transformation throughout the novel. When
Pnin begins a correspondence with Lizas son Victor, it is a moment of huge personal growth.
Pnin is not one to generally reach out to people on his own, but in this case it is Pnin establishing
a dialogue with Victor: He [Victor] therefore experienced pleasure when Professor Pnin entered
into a staid and decorous correspondence with him; a first letter, couched in beautiful French but
very indifferently typed, was followed by a picture postcard representing the Gray Squirrel.
(Pnin, 88) This growth in personal confidence is accompanied by none other than the Gray
squirrel, guiding Pnin towards a beneficial and healthy relationship with Victor. Near the end of
the novel, the imagery of squirrels is invoked again as Pnin is hosting a dinner party: and
secundo, that Cendrillons shoes were not made of glass but of Russian squirrel fur vair, in
French. (Pnin, 158) This mentioning of squirrels occurs in concurrence with Cinderella, a
classic tale of transformation. In this scene, Pnin is finally confident in himself and his own

12
home, hosting a housewarming party with pride. This is a very positive change for Pnin, who
earlier was mocked and shy. In this way, Pnin himself is like Cinderella. The appearance of a
squirrel is no mistake. Here, as he finds strength in himself, Mira is again present, watching over
him.

13
Extra Credit
The ant in chapter five of Pnin is meant to represent a zoomorphized Pnin. In this section
of chapter five, Pnin has struggled to get to the Pines. Hes a terrible driver, unable to separate
the car he is driving in his mind from the car he is driving in real life and even picking a fight
with his instructor during his driving test. To top that, Pnin is extremely directionally challenged,
and has become lost several times during his trip: Pnin had now been in that maze of forest
roads about an hour and had come to the conclusion that bear north, and in fact the word north
itself, meant nothing to him. (Pnin, 114) However, despite all of his struggles, in the end Pnin is
triumphant and arrives at the Pines. The ant makes a parallel journey: except for an ant who
had his own troubles, having, after hours of inept perseverance, somehow reached the upper
platform and the balustrade (his autostrada) and was getting all bothered and baffled much in the
same way as that preposterous toy car progressing below. (Pnin, 114) The ant, exactly like Pnin,
struggles to get where he is going but makes it to the balustrade eventually.
The ant is different from the squirrels sprinkled throughout the novel because the ant is
meant to be Pnin while the squirrel is Mira, an otherworldly entity. As Pnin goes throughout his
life, the squirrel is an outside force watching him. At his lowest moments and his greatest
moments of personal growth, the squirrel is present. The ant, on the other hand, shares Pnins
exact struggle and confusion, but, like Pnin, concludes his journey in victory.