University of Oregon

Kafka's Reality and Nabokov's Fantasy. On Dwarves, Saints, Beetles, Symbolism, and Genius
Author(s): Leland De La Durantaye
Source: Comparative Literature, Vol. 59, No. 4 (Fall, 2007), pp. 315-331
Published by: Duke University Press on behalf of the University of Oregon
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LELAND DE LA DURANTAYE
Kafka's
Re al i t y
an d
Nabokov's
Fan t asy .
O n
Dwarve s, S ai n t s, Be e t l e s,
S y mbol i sm,
an d G e n i u s
1 . The
Me t amorphosi s
It i s n ot d i ffi cu l t t o he ar e choe s of Kafkan
st e ps
i n t he
e arl y
works of Vl ad i mi r
Nabokov. Cri t i cs have d e t e ct e d fai n t e choe s i n hi s
e arl y
Ru ssi an n ove l s The
Ey e
(1930)
an d
De spai r
(1933) (se e
Hy d e
104, 109;
an d
Fost e r)
an d more d e fi n i t e
sou n d s i n In vi t at i on t o a
Be he ad i n g
(1938)
. In t he l at t e r
n ove l ,
a harml e ss he ro i n
an abst ract e d worl d i s i n t e rre d i n a
cast l e ,
brou ght
be fore an
i n compre he n si bl e
t ri bu n al ,
an d
charge d
wi t h t he
vagu e st
of cri me s
("G n ost i c
t u rpi t u d e ").
Thi s t he -
mat i c
si mi l ari t y
was
st ron g e n ou gh
for Nabokov t o
prot e st
i n a 1959 fore word t o
t he
En gl i sh
t ran sl at i on of t he n ove l t hat he had n ot re ad Kafka u n t i l
aft e r
he
wrot e i t
{In vi t at i on 6)
. Whe n aske d abou t t he mat t e r i n an i n t e rvi e w t e n
y e ars
l at e r,
he
re pl i e d :
"I d o n ot kn ow G e rman an d so cou l d n ot re ad Kafka be fore t he
n i n e t e e n t hi rt i e s whe n hi s La
mt amorphose appe are d
i n La n ou ve l l e re vu e
fran -
ai se ,
an d
by
t hat t i me
man y
of
my
so-cal l e d
'kafkae squ e '
st ori e s had
al re ad y
be e n
pu bl i she d " (S t ron g O pi n i on s
151-52).
In Be n d S i n i st e r
(1947),
t he fi rst n ove l Nabokov wrot e i n
Ame ri ca,
a be e t l e -
shape d boot jack
i s re fe rre d t o as
G rgoi re
(t he
n ame Kafka's
prot agon i st
be ars i n
La
mt amorphose )
, an d ,
more t o t he Kafkan
poi n t ,
t he n ove l n ot
on l y
i n cl u d e s a
mi racu l ou s t ran sformat i on i n i t s
cl osi n g
l i n e s,
bu t al so
d e pi ct s
a
n i ght mari sh
worl d of absu rd
bu re au cracy
t hat at ce rt ai n
shad owy
mome n t s re cal l s Kafka
(Be n d
S i n i st e r
33-34;
cf. al so Fost e r
445).
An d i n Nabokov's fi n al
n ove l ,
Look at
t he
Harl e qu i n s!
(1974),
whe n t he
prot agon i st
Vad i mVad i morovi t ch
(a
spe ci al
re fract i on of Vl ad i mi r Vl ad i mi rovi t i ch
[Nabokov] )
provi d e s
a l i st of hi s works
t hat
d arkl y
mi rrors Nabokov's
own ,
t he n ove l
corre spon d i n g
t o In vi t at i on t o a
Be he ad i n g
on t he n arrat or's CV i s e n t i t l e d The Re d
Toppe r,
whi ch t e l l s of "t he
st ran ge pan gs
of a
st ran ge
t ran sformat i on "
-
a
d e scri pt i on
t hat
d i spl ace s
on e
Kafkan worl d
(t hat
of cast l e an d
cou rt )
for an ot he r
(t hat
of a
me t amorphosi s)
(Harl e qu i n s
120).
Whe t he r Nabokov was
wron g
i n hi s e st i mat i on s of Kafka's
i n fl u e n ce ,
or mi s-
chi e vou sl y mi sl e ad i n g
abou t t he d at e of hi s fi rst
fami l i ari t y ,
can n ot be an swe re d
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CO MPARATIVE LITERATURE
/3
16
wi t h ce rt i t u d e . Bu t
t he y
are n ot t he
on l y qu e st i on s
we
mi ght pose . Thou gh
cri t i cs
have be e n most at t ract e d
by
t he
sport
of
pot e n t i al
i n fl u e n ce ,1
i n t he
fol l owi n g
I
argu e
t hat t he re are ot he r an d more
i n t e re st i n g grou n d s
for
st u d y i n g
Nabokov's
re fl e ct i on s on Kafka an d t hat t he se are t o be fou n d i n Nabokov's
si n gu l ar
i n t e r-
pre t at i on
of The
Me t amorphosi s
an d what t hat
i n t e rpre t at i on
has t o
say
abou t hi s
ru l e s for
good re ad i n g
an d
good wri t i n g.
2. Dwarve s an d S ai n t s
Nabokov l i ve d i n Be rl i n from1922 t o 1937 an d ove r t he cou rse of t hose
e i gh-
t e e n
y e ars
se e ms t o have con ce rn e d hi mse l f as l i t t l e as
possi bl e
wi t h G e rman
l an gu age ,
cu l t u re ,
pol i t i cs
-
an d
G e rman y
i t se l f. Be si d e s t he l e sson s he
gave
i n
t e n n i s,
boxi n g,
Fre n ch,
En gl i sh,
an d Ru ssi an
-
l e sson s t hat al l owe d hi man d hi s
fami l y
a
pre cari ou s
su bsi st e n ce
-
hi s soci al an d i n t e l l e ct u al
act i vi t y
re mai n e d sol -
i d l y
wi t hi n t he
sphe re
of Be rl i n 's Ru ssi an
mi gr commu n i t y
(t he n
t he
l arge st
i n
Eu rope
an d
on l y
t o be
e cl i pse d by
t hat of Pari s i n t he mi d
1930s).
Thou gh
as a
y ou t h
Nabokov had kn own
e n ou gh
G e rman t o t ran sl at e short
poe ms by
He i n e
an d G oe t he i n t o
Ru ssi an ,
he l at e r cl ai me d t o have n e xt t o n o
worki n g kn owl e d ge
of t he
l an gu age
an d t hat he had re si st e d
acqu i ri n g
on e ou t of fe ar t hat i t
mi ght
l e ad t o hi s
l osi n g
t ou ch wi t h hi s n at i ve Ru ssi an .
"Upon my movi n g
t o
Be rl i n ,"
he
l at e r
re marke d ,
"I was be se t
by
a
pan i cky
fe ar of some how
fl awi n g my pre ci ou s
l ay e r
of Ru ssi an
by l e arn i n g
t o
spe ak
G e rman
fl u e n t l y " (S t ron g O pi n i on s
189;
cf.
Le ct u re s
xx). Ne ve rt he l e ss,
he n ot e s t hat "I re ad G oe t he an d Kafka e n
re gard "
(S t ron g O pi n i on s
189).
2
De spi t e
hi s be st
e ffort s,
Nabokov d i d
n ot , howe ve r,
re mai n i n d i ffe re n t t o con -
t e mporary
G e rman l i t e rat u re . He
d e ve l ope d st ron g
-
an d
most l y n e gat i ve
-
opi n -
i on s t hat he was n ot
shy
abou t
voi ci n g.
Hi s chi e f
obje ct
of scorn was G e rman
l i t e rat u re 's most ce l e brat e d
n ove l i st ,
Thomas
Man n ,
wi t h t he
l an gu age 's
most
ce l e brat e d mod e rn
poe t ,
Rai n e r Mari a
Ri l ke ,
a cl ose se con d . In t he
y e ars
of hi s
growi n g
fame ,
Nabokov
rare l y n e gl e ct e d
t o i n cl u d e Man n
-
al on gsi d e
su ch
fi g-
u re s as
G i d e , Fau l kn e r, Bal zac,
an d
Dost oe vsky
-
i n l i t an i e s of re n own e d n ove l -
1
S pe ci fi cal l y re fe rri n g
t o
Kafka,
Nabokov
re marke d , "al as,
I amn ot on e t o
provi d e
mu ch
sport
for i n fl u e n ce hu n t e rs"
(S t ron g O pi n i on s 152).
Cf. al so Fost e r's comme n t t hat
"by
an
i n ge n i ou s i ron y
. . . t he
ve ry
i n d i re ct n e ss of Kafka's rol e
su gge st s
a
re l at i on shi p
t hat i s
'me t amorphi c'
i n i t s own
ri ght "
(445)
.
2
For a
ge n e ral
ove rvi e w of Nabokov's works an d
d ay s d u ri n g
t he se
y e ars,
se e
Fi e l d ,
Boy d ,
an d
S chi ff. Fu rt he r
backgrou n d
-
i n bot h t e xt an d
i mage
-
can be fou n d i n Zi mme r an d Urban . The
l at t e r
su cci n ct l y
n ot e s of Nabokov: "In ke i n e an d e re
S prache
wu rd e n se i n e We rke
hu fi ge r
u be r-
se t zt al s i n s De u t sche . Doch han d e l t e s si ch hi e rbe i u me i n e hchst
e i n se i t i ge Be wu n d e ru n g" (9;
In t o n o ot he r
l an gu age
have Nabokov's works be e n more oft e n t ran sl at e d t han G e rman . An d
y e t ,
t hi s has be e n a
ve ry
on e -si d e d ad mi rat i on
)
. In t e re st i n G e rman i n fl u e n ce s
-
l i t e rary
an d ot he r
-
on
Nabokov's work has be e n
re ce n t l y
i n t e n si fi e d
t hrou gh
t he
d i scove ry
of an obscu re short
st ory
e n -
t i t l e d
"Lol i t a,"
pu bl i she d
i n 1916
by
a He ssi an ari st ocrat n ame d He i n z von
Eschwe ge
u n d e r t he
pse u d on y m
He i n z von
Li chbe rg,
a
st ory
whi ch
(i n
ad d i t i on t o t he
t i t l e )
has ce rt ai n t he mat i c si mi -
l ari t i e s wi t h Nabokov's famou s n ove l . It s e xi st e n ce was n ot e d
by
t he G e rman
jou rn al i st
Mi chae l
Maar
(se e
"Was wu Bt e
Nabokov?"),
who l at e r su mmari ze d hi s
fi n d i n gs
for t he
En gl i sh re ad i n g pu b-
l i c i n "Cu rse of t he Fi rst Lol i t a. He i n z von
Li chbe rg
an d t he
Pre -hi st ory
of t he
Ny mphe t "
an d The
Two Lol i t as.
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KAFKA'S REALITY & NABO KO V'S
FANTAS Y/317
i st s whomhe d e e me d "me d i ocri t i e s."3 In
1945,
an
i n d i gn an t
Nabokov wrot e t o
hi s d e ar fri e n d
(l at e r
t o be come a bi t t e r
e n e my )
Ed mu n d
Wi l son ,
"How cou l d
y ou
n ame t hat
qu ack
Man n i n on e bre at h wi t h P
[rou st ]
an d j[oy ce ]?
(Nabokov-
Wi l son
148).
In "O n a Book En t i t l e d
Lol i t a?
wri t t e n i n
1957,
Nabokov re fe rs t o
"t opi cal
t rash or what some cal l t he Li t e rat u re of Id e as" an d l i st s as
e xampl e s
of
su ch
Bal zac, G orki ,
an d Man n
(An n ot at e d
Lol i t a
315).
In an i n t e rvi e w for t he G e r-
man
we e kl y
Zh'e Ze i t i n
1959,
aft e r Nabokov had ru n d own Man n on ce
agai n ,
hi s
i n t e rvi e we r aske d hi mi f t he re we re
an y
G e rman au t hors he d i d l i ke . The an swe r
appare n t l y
"came wi t hou t t he
sl i ght e st
he si t at i on ": "Fran z Kafka. Bu t n ot t he
my s-
t i cal
i mage
of Kafka t hat has be e n e re ct e d
by
hi s fri e n d s bu t t he re al Kafka. I
con si d e r hi mon e of t he
gre at e st Eu rope an
au t hors of ou r
t i me ,
an d I can
al way s
re ad an d re re ad works l i ke The
Me t amorphosi s
or The Cast l e "
("We r
i st d e r Lol i t a-
Au t or"6).4
Thou gh
Nabokov's abu se was be t t e r kn own t han hi s
prai se ,
he had be e n
e xpre ss-
i n g
t hi s vi e w of Kafka t o t he
wi d e n i n g
ci rcl e s of hi s st u d e n t s at
We l l e sl e y ,
Harvard ,
S t an ford ,
an d Corn e l l for
n e arl y t we n t y y e ars.
Nabokov sai d e ach
y e ar
i n hi s l e c-
t u re s on
Eu rope an mast e rpi e ce s
t hat Kafka was "t he
gre at e st
G e rman wri t e r of
ou r t i me " an d t hat "su ch
poe t s
as Ri l ke or su ch n ove l i st s as Thomas Man n are
d warfs or
pl ast e r
sai n t s i n
compari son
t o hi m"
(Le ct u re s 255)
. He e ve n se e me d t o
d e ri ve
spe ci al pl e asu re
fromt he
vi ci n i t y
i n whi ch
t he y bri e fl y
l i ve d
-
n ot i n g
for
hi s cl ass how Kafka "i n t hose l ast
y e ars
of hi s short l i fe . . . had a
happy
l ove affai r
an d l i ve d wi t h hi s mi st re ss i n
Be rl i n ,
i n
1923,
n ot far fromme "
(255)
. In an i n t e r-
vi e w from
1965,
aft e r t he su cce ss of Lol i t a an d t he con ve n i e n ce s of S wi t ze rl an d
l e d Nabokov
pe rman e n t l y
t o
su spe n d
hi s l e ct u re s on
l i t e rat u re ,
he d re w
u p
a
pe rson al
l i st of "t he
gre at e st mast e rpi e ce s
of
t we n t i e t h-ce n t u ry prose ,"
whe re i n
Kafka's The
Me t amorphosi s appe are d
i n se con d
pl ace
be hi n d
Joy ce 's Ul y sse s (S t ron g
O pi n i on s
57)
.5
The re i s i n d e e d
n ot hi n g e xt raord i n ary
i n
an y
of t hi s. Ne i t he r Man n 's t al e n t
n or Ri l ke 's was so u n i ve rsal t hat
e ve ry
se n si t i ve re ad e r
champi on e d
i t ,
an d
-
for
al l t he bre ad t h of Man n 's t al e n t an d al l t he
d e pt h
of Ri l ke 's
-
e ach wri t e r had
i n t e l l i ge n t
an d se n si t i ve d e t ract ors. The re i s e ve n l e ss mat t e r for
su rpri se
i n Nabo-
kov's
rat i n g
Kafka's
l i t e rary ge n i u s
as
amon gst
t he
gre at e st
of t he t we n t i e t h ce n -
t u ry
or
fi n d i n g
The
Me t amorphosi s
hi s be st work.6
Fi n al l y ,
t he re i s
n ot hi n g
3
Fost e r
ast u t e l y spe cu l at e s
t hat i t was Nabokov's
d i scove ry ,
aft e r he arri ve d i n
Ame ri ca,
t hat Man n
was a
hi ghl y prai se d fi gu re
t he re t hat l e d hi mt o at t ack hi s fe l l ow n ove l i st i n e xi l e e ve n more ve he -
me n t l y
an d more
pu bl i cl y
t han he had be fore
(446)
. For an
e xampl e
of Nabokov's ri d i cu l e of Man n
whi l e he was st i l l i n
Eu rope ,
con si d e r t he t i t l e of on e of t he mi schi e vou s S e bast i an
Kn i ght 's
books,
"The
Fu n n y
Mou n t ai n "
(cf.
The Re al
Li fe of
S e bast i an
Kn i ght )
.
4
Tran sl at i on
by
Di e t e r Zi mme r.
My
t han ks t o Di e t e r Zi mme r for
bri n gi n g
t hi s i n t e rvi e w t o
my
at -
t e n t i on an d
he l pi n g
me t o l ocat e i t .
5
Fost e r n ot e s t hat whe n i n
S t ron g O pi n i on s
Nabokov
poi n t s
ou t hi s
"t op
favori t e s" fromt he
pe -
ri od of
1919-1939,
he make s n o me n t i on of Kafka
(445)
. At t he same
t i me ,
Fost e r t race s i n d e t ai l t he
Kakfan n ot e s st ru ck i n su ch works as Be n d S i n i st e r an d Look at t he
Harl e qu i n s! (447-50)
.
6
To
pi ck
a ce l e brat e d
e xampl e ,
El i as Can e t t i
argu e s
t hat "In The
Me t amorphosi s
Kafka re ache d t he
he i ght
of hi s
mast e ry :
he wrot e
some t hi n g
whi ch he cou l d n e ve r
su rpass,
be cau se t he re i s
n ot hi n g
whi ch The
Me t amorphosi s
cou l d be
su rpasse d by " (22-23).
It i s
i n t e re st i n g
t o n ot e t hat Kafka hi mse l f
d i d n ot fi n d i t hi s be st work. As hi s l e t t e rs t o Fe l i ce Bau e r fromt he e n d of 1912
chron i cl e ,
he
part i cu l arl y
d i sl i ke d t he
st ory 's e n d i n g
an d bl ame d n u me rou s fl aws i n i t s
composi t i on
on a bu si n e ss
t ri p
t hat
i n t e rru pt e d
hi s fe ve ri sh
composi t i on .
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CO MPARATIVE LITERATURE
/3
18
e xt raord i n ary
i n Nabokov's
e xpre ssi n g
an e l e ct i ve
affi n i t y
for an au t hor froma
t rad i t i on i n
whi ch,
as a
ru l e ,
he fou n d l i t t l e t hat was ki n d re d t o hi m. What i s
e xt raord i n ary
i s t he fru i t of Nabokov's ad mi rat i on . Be fore
l e avi n g Eu rope ,
Nabo-
kov
compose d
t he l e ct u re s on l i t e rat u re whi ch we re t o su st ai n hi mso
l on g
an d so
we l l i n t he Ne w Worl d
(an d
whi ch we re
pu bl i she d
aft e r hi s
d e at h).7 The re i n ,
Kafka i s
pl ace d al on gsi d e
Au st e n , Di cke n s, Fl au be rt , S t e ve n son , Prou st ,
an d
Joy ce
for
spe ci al st u d y
an d
prai se .
What i s
su rpri si n g
i s t hat t he l e ct u re s d e d i cat e d t o
Kafka
prove d
t o be t he most
i d i osy n crat i c
an d
i n compl e t e
-
si mpl y
st at e d ,
t he
poore st
-
of t he
grou p. De spi t e sparks
of
sy mpat hy
an d
wi t ,
t he y
show Nabokov
t hrowi n g i n t e rpre t at i ve
cau t i on t o t he wi n d an d
ope n l y vi ol at i n g
t he i n st ru ct i on s
he
gi ve s
e l se whe re on how t o re ad
gre at
works. The
goal
of t he
fol l owi n g
wi l l be
t o u n cove r how an d
why
he d i d t hi s.
3.
Han d bags,
Trai n
Compart me n t s,
an d t he
Imagi n ai S t age
The most cu ri ou s
aspe ct s
of Nabokov's
re ad i n g
of Kafka's work con ce rn hi s
sy mbol i c i n t e rpre t at i on
of t he d e t ai l s of t hat work. S o as t o
pre se n t
t he se i n t he
prope r l i ght
I mu st make a bri e f d e t ou r
t hrou gh
Nabokov's
ge n e ral
re marks on
t he
spe ci fi c
rol e of d e t ai l s i n t he work of art . Hi s
posi t i on
i s
si mpl y
st at e d : he
pri ze d
t he
part i cu l ar
above al l e l se . In t he
i n t rod u ct ory
re marks t o hi s Le ct u re s on
Li t e rat u re ,
Nabokov
procl ai ms
t hat "i n
re ad i n g,
on e shou l d n ot i ce an d fon d l e
d e t ai l s"
(1).
In t he 1958 Cou rse
De scri pt i on
for a l e ct u re cou rse at Corn e l l we
re ad t hat t he works i n t he cl ass wi l l be "st u d i e d fromt he
poi n t
of vi e w of st ru c-
t u re an d
st y l e
wi t h
gre at
at t e n t i on
gi ve n
t o t e chn i cal d e t ai l s an d
fact u al , spe ci fi c
fe at u re s" (qt d .
i n S e l e ct e d Le t t e rs
238;
my
i t al i cs).
The cou rse 's fi n al e xami n at i on
aske d st u d e n t s t o d e scri be Emma
Bovary 's
su n shad e an d
shoe s,
t o e n u me rat e
t he con t e n t s of An n a Kare n i n a's
han d bag,
an d t o
map
t he
Li ffe y 's
move me n t
t hrou gh
Du bl i n .8
Nabokov's
e mphasi s
on
l i t e rary
d e t ai l was n ot
me re l y
a
pe d agogi cal approach.
In a l e t t e r t o Wi l son from
1946,
Nabokov
harshl y
cri t i ci ze s An d r Mal rau x's La
con d i t i on hu mai n e on t he
grou n d s
t hat he fou n d i t
u n l i ke l y
t hat
mosqu i t oe s
i n
t he
"i magi n ai st age "
we re t o be fou n d i n
e arl y spri n g
i n
S han ghai
-
an
ove rsi ght
t hat l e ad s hi mt o cl ass Mal rau x as a "t hi rd -rat e wri t e r"
(Nabokov-Wi l son 175-76).
In an ot he r l e t t e r t o
Wi l son ,
Nabokov cri t i ci ze s
He n ry Jame s's
"The
Aspe rn
Pa-
pe rs"
be cau se t he n arrat or re fe rs t o t he "re d
t i p"
of a
ci gar
se e n
by n i ght
froma
7
De spi t e
Nabokov's
e xpre ss
wi she s t o t he
con t rary (a
n ot e i n Nabokov's han d i n t he Nabokov
Archi ve i n t he Ne w York Pu bl i c
Li brary
at t e st s t o
t hi s) ,
hi s Le ct u re s on
Li t e rat u re ,
al on g
wi t h hi s
Le ct u re s on Ru ssi an Li t e rat u re an d Le ct u re s on Don
Qu i xot e ,
we re ,
wi t h t he
approval
of hi s wi fe an d
son ,
pu bl i she d post hu mou sl y . The y
d o
n ot , howe ve r,
re pre se n t u n pol i she d
or u n fi n i she d work.
Nabokov
compose d
t he l e ct u re s i n
pre parat i on
for an acad e mi c care e r an d re fi n e d an d re vi se d
t he m
d u ri n g
hi s fi rst d e cad e i n Ame ri ca. At se ve ral
poi n t s d u ri n g
t he l ast d e cad e of hi s l i fe Nabokov
al so voi ce d an i n t e n t i on t o
pre pare
t he l e ct u re s for
pu bl i cat i on . Fai l i n g
t o
re spe ct
l ast
l i t e rary
wi she s
i s of cou rse
n ot hi n g
n e w. Kafka's wi sh t hat al l hi s
u n pu bl i she d
mat e ri al re mai n so
-
an d ,
i n
fact ,
be
bu rn e d
-
was re fu se d
by
hi s
l i t e rary
e xe cu t or Max Brod .
8
S ome of t he se e xam
qu e st i on s
are
re prod u ce d
i n t he
appe n d i x
t o Le ct u re s on Li t e rat u re
(383-
85).
Fu rt he r e xam
qu e st i on s
can be fou n d i n t he Nabokov Col l e ct i on i n Kroch
Li brary
at Corn e l l
Un i ve rsi t y .
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KAFKA'S REALITY & NABO KO V'S
FANTAS Y/319
d arke n e d wi n d ow. Nabokov
obje ct s
t hat t he
l i ght
of a
ci gar by n i ght
i s
"bl u n t ,"
an d
d i smi ssi ve l y su gge st s
t hat t he l ocu t i on wou l d more
apt l y
d e scri be a
d og's
pe n i s
-
an obse rvat i on t hat re i n force s hi s
d i sparagi n g
vi e w of
Jame s's
work i n
t hat l e t t e r
(53).
G e n t l e sou l s fromNabokov's n ove l s su ch as The
G i ft 's Fy od or
or
The
De fe n se 's
Lu zhi n
(who
i s t hri l l e d
by
"S he rl ock
composi n g
a
mon ograph
on
t he ash of al l kn own sort s of
ci gars";
cf.
De fe n se 34)
are bl e sse d wi t h
pre ci se l y
su ch at t e n t i ve n e ss t o d e t ai l
-
as are t he d arke r an d more
compl i cat e d
case s of
Hu mbe rt i n Lol i t a an d Ad a an d Van Ve e n i n
Ad a,
or Ard or. For
Nabokov,
t he
provi n ce
of art was t he
provi n ce
of t he
part i cu l ar
d e t ai l . "In
hi gh
art an d
pu re
sci e n ce ,"
he
sai d ,
"d e t ai l i s
e ve ry t hi n g" (S t ron g O pi n i on s
168)
.
Thi s
pri zi n g
of d e t ai l l e d Nabokov t o t ake i ssu e wi t h t wo t e n d e n ci e s t hat he
fou n d t o be
u n con d i t i on al l y pe rn i ci ou s
i n t he worl d of art . The fi rst was t he
re cou rse t o
my t hol ogi cal sy mbol s. S pe aki n g
of hi s
t e achi n g d ay s
at
Corn e l l ,
Nabokov
prou d l y
re l at e d ,
"Eve ry
t i me on e of
my
st u d e n t s u se d t he word
'sy mbol '
i n a
pape r,
I
gave
t he ma bad
grad e " ("je
d on n ai s u n e mau vai se n ot e
chaqu e
foi s
qu 'i l s e mpl oy ai e n t
l e mot
'sy mbol e ,'"
In t e rvi e w wi t h Pi e rre
Domme rgu e s
97).
S i mi l arl y ,
he l at e r
re mi n i sce d ,
"I on ce
gave
a st u d e n t a
C-mi n u s,
or
pe rhaps
a D-
pl u s, ju st
for
appl y i n g
t o
[Joy ce 's Ul y sse s]
t he t i t l e s borrowe d fromHome r"
(S t ron g
O pi n i on s
55)
. Thi s re cou rse t o
my t hol ogi cal si gn s
or
sy mbol s
was
some t hi n g
he
d i d n ot l i ke i n
Joy ce 's wri t i n gs
an d l oat he d i n wri t e rs t oward s whomhe fe l t l e ss
i n cl i n e d ,
su ch as T.S . El i ot .
The se con d
t e n d e n cy
t hat i n Nabokov's vi e w occl u d e d t he
pri ze d
d e t ai l s of hi s
t re asu re d t e xt s was what i n "Con cl u si ve Evi d e n ce " he d e n ou n ce s as "t he on e i or-
man cy
an d
my t hoge n y
of
psy choan al y si s"
(133)
. The
ope n i n g paragraphs
of bot h
of t he fi rst t wo
chapt e rs
of hi s
au t obi ography
con d e mn as
ri n gi n gl y
as
possi bl e ,
"t he
vu l gar, shabby , fu n d ame n t al l y
me d i e val worl d " of Fre u d 's
t hou ght (S pe ak,
Me mory
20) ,
an d i n t he
scre e n pl ay
for Lol i t a "t he Fre u d i an
pri son
of
t hou ght "
an d "t he Fre u d i an
n u rse ry -school
of
t hou ght "
are bot h
ve he me n t l y
e voke d an d
d i smi sse d .
Ad a,
or Ard or l i ke wi se abou n d s i n re fe re n ce s t o t he
"e xpe n si ve
con fe s-
si on fe st s" of
psy choan al y si s
"(364),
an d
S t ron g O pi n i on s
l ame n t s t he i n cu rsi on s
of "t he Au st ri an cran k wi t h a
shabby
u mbre l l a"
(116).
Thi s,
i n i t s
ge n e ral
ou t l i n e ,
was Nabokov's
posi t i on
on t he
part i cu l ar
d e t ai l
an d t he art i st i c at t e n t i on t hat shou l d be
pai d
t o i t .9 Bu t be fore we t u rn t o Nabo-
kov's t re at me n t of Kafka's
t al e ,
we mu st make a fi n al d e t ou r i n t o t he re al mof t he
fai ry
t al e .
4.
Fai ry
Tal e s
"The
t ru t h,"
Nabokov
say s
at t he ou t se t of hi s Le ct u re s on
Li t e rat u re ,
"i s t hat
gre at
n ove l s are
gre at fai ry
t al e s"
(2).
Lat e r he st at e s t hat
"Man sfi e l d
Park i s a
fai ry
t al e ,
bu t t he n al l n ove l s
are ,
i n a
se n se ,
fai ry
t al e s"
(10).
What d i d he me an
by
t hi s cu ri ou s d e cl arat i on ? G i ve n t he l i st of works Nabokov d i scu sse s i n t he l e c-
t u re s,
t he
su gge st i on
i s a
su rpri si n g
on e . The fi rst t hre e au t hors st u d i e d i n t he
cou rse are
fou n d i n g fi gu re s
i n t he re al i st t rad i t i on :
Au st e n ,
who e n d e avore d t o
9
For more on t hi s an d re l at e d
poi n t s,
se e d e l a
Du ran t ay e
147ff.
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CO MPARATIVE LITERATURE
/320
re prod u ce
an d re fl e ct t he
En gl an d
of he r
d ay
wi t h a
psy chol ogi cal ve raci t y
an d
ge ographi cal fi d e l i t y ve rgi n g
on t he
d ocu me n t ary ;
Di cke n s,
who so
care fu l l y
d e -
scri be s t he move me n t s of hi s charact e rs i n Bl e ak Hou se
-
t he n ove l Nabokov d i s-
cu sse s i n hi s cou rse
-
t hat t hose move me n t s can be fol l owe d arou n d
e ve ry
corn e r
of t he Lon d on of t he
d ay ;
an d
Fl au be rt ,
who
spe n t d ay s t aki n g
coach ri d e s
t hrou gh
a
Norman d y
he l oat he d so as t o t i me t he vari ou s rou t e s for u se i n Mad ame
Bovary .
Eve n i n t he case of t he more
e xpe ri me n t al
works su ch as t hose of Prou st t o be
d i scu sse d l at e r i n t he
se me st e r,
Nabokov i s we l l at t u n e d t o re al i st e l e me n t s. The
same i s t ru e for
Joy ce 's Ul y sse s,
whi ch,
for al l i t s formal
e xpe ri me n t at i on s,
st i l l
l e ad s
passi on at e l i t e rary pi l gri ms e ve ry Ju n e
16t h arou n d
Du bl i n ,
fol l owi n g
i n
t he hal l owe d
foot st e ps
of t he charact e rs.
(Joy ce
was
on l y
hal f
joki n g
whe n he
cl ai me d t hat hi s book wou l d al l ow Du bl i n t o be re bu i l t fromscrat ch shou l d a
cat acl y sm
be fal l t he
ci t y .)
Whi l e t he re we re i n d e e d t wo works
t au ght
i n t he cou rse
-
S t e ve n son 's Dr.
Je ky l l
an d Mr.
Hy d e
an d Kafka's The
Me t amorphosi s
-
wi t h a
si g-
n i fi can t d ose of t he
fan t ast i c,
t hose works are n on e t he l e ss n ot
fai ry -t al e s,
an d
bot h owe mu ch of t he i r e e ri n e ss t o t he
psy chol ogi cal
an d
d e scri pt i ve
re al i sm
t hat su rrou n d s t he
i mpossi bl e
t ran sformat i on s
t he y
re cou n t .10 Fromt hi s we mu st
con cl u d e t hat Nabokov me an t hi s
ge n e ri c
d e cl arat i on t hat "al l
gre at
n ove l s are
gre at fai ry
t al e s" i n a
si n gu l ar
an d
spe ci al
se n se .
In t he In t rod u ct i on t o Be n d S i n i st e r Nabokov wri t e s: "I amn ot
'si n ce re ,'
I am
n ot
'provocat i ve ,'
I amn ot 'sat i ri cal .' I amn e i t he r a d i d act i ci st n or an
al l e gori ze r.
Pol i t i cs an d
e con omi cs,
at omi c
bombs,
pri mi t i ve
an d abst ract art
forms,
t he e n -
t i re
O ri e n t ,
sy mpt oms
of 't haw' i n S ovi e t
Ru ssi a,
t he Fu t u re of
Man ki n d ,
an d so
on ,
l e ave me
su pre me l y
i n d i ffe re n t "
(xi i )
. How i s on e t o t ake su ch bl an ke t d i s-
mi ssal s? The re i s of cou rse a
gre at
d e al of bl u st e r i n t he se
st at e me n t s,
bu t t hat i s
n ot al l t hat i s t o be fou n d t he re . In hi s l i st of
re ad i n g
i n st ru ct i on s for Di cke n s's
mon u me n t al Bl e ak
Hou se ,
n u mbe r fi ve re ad s: "The
soci ol ogi cal
si d e
[of
t he
n ove l ] ,
bri l l i an t l y
st re sse d for
e xampl e by
Ed mu n d Wi l son i n hi s col l e ct i on of
e ssay s
The
Wou n d an d t he
Bow,
i s n e i t he r
i n t e re st i n g
n or
i mport an t "
(Le ct u re s 68)
.
Hi t t i n g
cl ose t o home
(hi s
an d
ou rs),
he
e n joi n s
hi s re ad e r t o "re me mbe r t hat l i t e rat u re
i s of n o
pract i cal
val u e
what soe ve r,
e xce pt
i n t he
ve ry spe ci al
case of
some bod y 's
wi shi n g
t o
be come ,
of al l
t hi n gs,
a
profe ssor
of l i t e rat u re "
(125).
O r as Nabokov
wrot e t o Wi l son i n
1956,
"I ... t hi n k t hat at a t i me whe n Ame ri can re ad e rs are
t au ght
from
hi gh
school on t o se e k i n books
'ge n e ral
i d e as' a cri t i c's
d u t y
shou l d
be t o d raw t he i r at t e n t i on t o t he
spe ci fi c
d e t ai l ,
t o t he
u n i qu e i mage ,
wi t hou t whi ch
. . . t he re can be n o
art ,
n o
ge n i u s,
n o
Che khov,
n o
t e rror,
n o
t e n d e rn e ss,
an d n o
su rpri se "
(Nabokov-Wi l son 298)
.
Wi t h t he se re marks i n mi n d we can
cl ari fy
what Nabokov me an t
by
hi s cu ri ou s
st at e me n t t hat "al l
gre at
n ove l s are
gre at fai ry
t al e s." It se e ms t hat what he was
st ri vi n g
t o
say
wi t h t he re mark was
some t hi n g
n ot abou t how
gre at
n ove l s we re
wri t t e n ,
bu t abou t how
t he y
shou l d be re ad .
Ju st
as we d o n ot
ju d ge fai ry
t al e s
by
how
accu rat e l y t he y re prod u ce
a worl d we kn ow
-
t hat
i s,
we d o n ot cri t i ci ze
fai ry
10
Mi l an Ku n d e ra
famou sl y
cl ai me d t hat what was
re al l y u n se t t l i n g
i n Kafka's work was n ot t hat i t
was
fan t ast i c,
bu t t hat i t was re al i st .
S i mi l arl y ,
whe n aske d who hi s favori t e n ove l i st s
we re ,
It al o Cal vi n o
i n cl u d e d Kafka i n hi s
l i st ,
wi t h t hi s an n ot at i on : "I l ove Kafka be cau se he i s a re al i st
[pe rch

re al i st a]
"
(35).
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KAFKA'S REALITY & NABO KO V'S
FANTAS Y/321
t al e s
be cau se ,
for
i n st an ce ,
t he re are n o
bri d ge s
u n d e r whi ch t rol l s d we l l
-
so Nabo-
kov d oe s n ot wi sh hi s
"good
re ad e rs" t o
ju d ge
Au st e n , Di cke n s, Fl au be rt ,
S t e ve n -
son , Prou st ,
Joy ce ,
or Kafka on t he basi s of how
accu rat e l y t he y
re fl e ct t he
psy chol ogy
an d val u e s of
spe ci fi c pe rson s
i n t he
l an d scape
of a
spe ci fi c pl ace
at a
spe ci fi c
t i me .
Au st e n , Di cke n s,
an d
Fl au be rt ,
t o
pi ck
t he fi rst wri t e rs re ad i n t he
cou rse ,
may
i n d e e d be
qu i t e
accu rat e i n t he i r
re prod u ct i on s
of l i fe i n ce rt ai n
pl ace s
at
ce rt ai n
t i me s,
bu t t hat i s n ot what Nabokov wan t s hi s re ad e rs t o re ad for. Li t e ra-
t u re ,
for
hi m,
shou l d be st u d i e d as l i t e rat u re an d n ot for t he be t t e r
u n d e rst an d i n g
of some ot he r
t hi n g
-
be i t
hi st ory , psy chol ogy ,
or
l an d scape
archi t e ct u re .
S i mpl y
st at e d ,
he wan t s hi s st u d e n t s t o
st u d y
t he works i n
qu e st i on
n ot as d ocu me n t s bu t
as works. To
say
t hat
gre at
n ove l s shou l d be re ad as
gre at fai ry
t al e s i s t he re fore t o
i ssu e a ru l e of
re ad e rl y
cau t i on : we shou l d con ce rn ou rse l ve s as l i t t l e wi t h t he
"re al "
pe opl e
or "re al "
pl ace s st an d i n g
be hi n d or
be y on d
t he works of e ve n t he
most re al i st i c of al l
ge n re s
-
t he n ove l
-
as we wou l d i f
t he y
we re
fai ry
t al e s.
5.
Fi n d i n g Fan t asy
an d
In ve n t i n g Re al i t y
Nabokov t hu s warn s
agai n st re ad i n g
"re al i st "
mast e rpi e ce s
su ch as
Man sfi e l d
Park,
Bl e ak
Hou se ,
an d Mad ame
Bovary
i n a re al i st
way .
He fe ars t hat su ch an
approach
wi l l l i mi t t he
d e pt h
an d bre ad t h of t he re ad e r's
e xpe ri e n ce .
Bu t what of a case
whe re t he
t e mpt at i on
t o re ad
re al i st i cal l y
i s l e ss
st ron g? Al t hou gh
a re ad e r
may
happe n
or come t o kn ow a fai r amou n t abou t l i fe i n
n i n e t e e n t h-ce n t u ry En gl i sh
man or hou se s or t he Norman
cou n t ry si d e ,
or
pe rhaps may
have st u d i e d t he ba-
roqu e fu n ct i on i n g
of t he cou rt s of
Chan ce ry
or wan d e re d t he
wi n d i n g
st re e t s of
Lon d on ,
a re ad e r
(we
can
on l y hope )
wi l l n ot kn ow mu ch abou t
awake n i n g
on e
morn i n g
t ran sforme d i n t o a
gi an t
i n se ct . An d
so,
i n t he case of
Kafka,
Nabokov's
i n ju n ct i on
se e ms a l e ss
pe d agogi cal l y pre ssi n g
on e .
Ne ve rt he l e ss,
hi s l e ct u re on
Kafka
be gi n s
wi t h an e xcu rsu s on
"fan t asy ."
"From
my poi n t
of
vi e w,"
say s
Nabokov,
"an y ou t st an d i n g
work of art i s a
fan t asy
i n sofar as i t re fl e ct s t he
u n i qu e
worl d of a
u n i qu e
i n d i vi d u al "
{Le ct u re s 252)
.
What , howe ve r,
d oe s he me an
by
t hi s st at e me n t ? The
ampl e pl ace
he accord s t o
"fan t asy "
i s a d i re ct re su l t of t he n arrow
space
he accord s t o
"re al i t y ." "Re al i t y ,"
he
say s,
i s
al way s on l y
"what i s
common l y
cal l e d
re al i t y "
(252).
Kafka's The Me t amor-
phosi s
i s t he n
-
pl au si bl y e n ou gh
-
cal l e d a
"fan t asy ."
Thi s cl ai mcan be se e n i n a
broad e r
l i ght ,
howe ve r,
whe n on e be ars i n mi n d t hat i n hi s l e ct u re on Prou st
Nabokov wi l l
say
of In S e arch
of
Lost Ti me t hat "i t i s n ot a mi rror of
man n e rs,
n ot
an
au t obi ography ,
n ot a hi st ori cal accou n t . It i s
pu re fan t asy
on Prou st 's
part , ju st
as An n a Kare n i n i s 2l
fan t asy , ju st
as Kafka's The
Me t amorphosi s
i s
fan t asy - ju st
as
Corn e l l
Un i ve rsi t y
wi l l be a
fan t asy
i f I e ve r
happe n
t o wri t e abou t i t some
d ay
i n
re t rospe ct "
(210; my
i t al i cs).
Bu t what
pre ci se l y
d oe s he me an
by "fan t asy "?
Thi s i s be st
gl i mpse d by l ooki n g
at
fan t asy 's
more
re pu t abl e
t wi n ,
"re al i t y ."
In Nabokov's
u n i ve rse ,
"l i fe d oe s n ot
e xi st wi t hou t a
posse ssi ve e pi t he t ,"
be cau se "al l
re al i t y
i s
comparat i ve re al i t y " (S t ron g
O pi n i on s
118;
Le ct u re s
146).
In an i n t e rvi e w wi t h Pi e rre
Domme rgu e s,
Nabokov
re marks: "Le mot ral i t e st l e
pl u s d an ge re u x qu i
soi t ... La ral i t d e l 'art ? C'e st
u n e ral i t
art i fi ci e l l e ,
u n e ral i t
cre ,
qu i
n e re st e ral i t
qu e
d an s l e roman .
Je
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CO MPARATIVE
LITERATURE/ 322
n e croi s
pas qu 'i l y
ai t d e ral i t
obje ct i ve "
(95;
"The word
're al i t y '
i s t he most
d an ge rou s
word t he re i s ... The
re al i t y
of art ? It i s an
art i fi ci al ,
a cre at e d
re al i t y
t hat i s
on l y re al i t y
wi t hi n t he n ove l . I d o n ot be l i e ve i n su ch a
t hi n g
as
obje ct i ve
re al i t y ")
. Hu mbe rt Hu mbe rt t e l l s u s t hat
"re al i t y "
i s "on e of t he fe w word s whi ch
me an
n ot hi n g
wi t hou t
qu ot e s"
(An n ot at e d
Lol i t a
312),
an d Nabokov con cu rs
wi t h hi mwhe n he
spe aks
of "su ch l ocal
i n gre d i e n t s
as wou l d al l ow me t o
i n je ct
a
mod i cu mof
ave rage 're al i t y '
(on e
of t he fe w word s whi ch me an
n ot hi n g
wi t hou t
qu ot e s)
i n t o t he bre w of i n d i vi d u al
fan cy " (S t ron g O pi n i on s
94)
. It shou l d come
t he n as n o
su rpri se
t hat Nabokov st at e s i n t he
Apost rophe s
i n t e rvi e w t hat t he
Ame ri ca of Lol i t a
(whi ch
so
man y
cri t i cs had
prai se d
for i t s
re al i sm)
was as
"i magi -
n ary "
as t he fan t ast i cal An t i t e rra of hi s l at e r n ove l
Ad a,
or Ard or.
Thi s i s far froma
pose
l i mi t e d t o Nabokov's n on -fi ct i on al or occasi on al
wri t i n g.
In t he t hi rd can t o of hi s 999-l i n e
poe m
"Pal e Fi re "
(t he
poe m
arou n d whi ch t he
n ove l of t he same n ame
grows)
,
S had e re fe rs t o a ce rt ai n "vi si on " t hat "re e ke d
wi t h t ru t h" an d "had t he
t on e , /The
qu i d d i t y
an d
qu ai n t n e ss
of i t s
own /Re al i t y "
(Pal e
Fi re
60)
. That
"re al i t y "
d e n ot e s n ot a common
pe rce pt u al
fi e l d or
su bst an ce ,
bu t t he most
rad i cal l y su bje ct i ve e xpe ri e n ce
i s re fl e ct e d i n Ad a's
"me t aphy si cs" by
he r u se of
"re al i t y "
t o d e n ot e
on l y
t he most rare an d
pe rson al
of
e xpe ri e n ce s
(Ad a 74)
. He r fat he r l i ke wi se be l i e ve s t hat t he
abi l i t y
t o
pe rce i ve
t hi s
"re al i t y "
re -
qu i re s
what he cal l s "t hat t hi rd
si ght
(i n d i vi d u al ,
magi cal l y
d e t ai l e d
i magi n at i on )
. . . wi t hou t whi ch
me mory
(e ve n
t hat of a
profou n d
't hi n ke r' or t e chn i ci an of
ge n i u s)
i s,
l e t u s face
i t ,
a
st e re ot y pe
or a t e ar-she e t "
(252)
. "To be
su re ,"
Nabokov
al l ows,
"t he re i s an
ave rage re al i t y , pe rce i ve d by
al l of
u s,
bu t t hat i s n ot t ru e
re al i t y :
i t i s
on l y
t he
re al i t y
of
ge n e ral
i d e as,
con ve n t i on al forms of hu md ru m-
me ry ,
cu rre n t e d i t ori al s . . .
Ave rage re al i t y be gi n s
t o rot an d st i n k as soon as t he
act of i n d i vi d u al cre at i on ce ase s t o an i mat e a
su bje ct i ve l y pe rce i ve d
t e xt u re
(S t ron g
O pi n i on s
118;
my
i t al i cs).
Thi s act of
"an i mat i n g
a
su bje ct i ve l y pe rce i ve d
t e xt u re "
-
a ce ase l e ss "an i mat -
i n g"
of a "t e xt u re "
-
su bje ct s
"t ru e
re al i t y "
t o a ki n d of con st an t
ae st he t i ci zi n g,
a
con st an t
wri t i n g, pai n t i n g, scori n g, scu l pt i n g
of
su bje ct i ve pe rce pt i on .
Thu s for
Nabokov t he "cre at i ve wri t e r . . . mu st
posse ss
t he i n born
capaci t y
n ot
on l y
of re -
combi n i n g
bu t of
re -cre at i n g
t he
gi ve n
worl d ." An d as a cre at i ve
wri t e r,
he
ad mi t s,
"I t e n d more an d more t o
re gard
t he
obje ct i ve
e xi st e n ce of al l e ve n t s as a formof
i mpu re i magi n at i on
-
he n ce
my
i n ve rt e d commas arou n d
're al i t y '" (S t ron g O pi n -
i on s
32)
.n In a ce rt ai n e sse n t i al
re spe ct ,
t he n ,
t o
say
t hat The
Me t amorphosi s
i s a
"fan t asy "
i s n ot t o
say
mu ch.
Eve ry t hi n g
re fract e d
t hrou gh
t he
e y e
of t he t ru e
art i st i s
gran t e d
t hi s e n comi u m
-
an d ,
as i s cl e ar fromt he
pre ce d i n g, "fan t asy "
i s
l e ss a
d e scri pt i ve
t e rmt han on e of
approbat i on .
Nabokov's fi rst cl ai m
-
t hat The
Me t amorphosi s
i s a
"fan t asy "
-
i s t hu s bot h d ou -
bl y ri ght
an d
d ou bl y
vacan t . O n t he on e
han d ,
i t i s
l i ke l y
t hat n on e of i t s re ad e rs
wi l l have
e xpe ri e n ce d
a t ran sformat i on i n t o an i n se ct . O n t he ot he r
han d ,
e ve ry -
t hi n g
t ran smi t t e d
by
an art i st of
ge n i u s
-
Prou st ,
Tol st oy ,
Kafka,
or
hi mse l f,
t o
e mpl oy
t he
e xampl e s
he offe rs
-
i s
by
d fi n i t i on a
"fan t asy ."
Thi s fi rst an d ce n t ral
11
It
may
be
apt
i n t hi s con n e ct i on t o t hi n k of Pabl o Ne ru d a's re mark t hat "t he
poe t
who i s n ot a
re al i st i s
d e ad ;
an d t he
poe t
who i s
on l y
a re al i st i s al so d e ad "
(265)
.
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KAFKA'S REALITY & NABO KO V'S
FANTAS Y/323
cl ai mt hat Nabokov make s
may say some t hi n g
abou t hi mse l f as a
re ad e r,
bu t i t
se e ms t o
say
l i t t l e abou t Kafka's
st ory .
6. The
Be e t l e ,
or on G e n i u s
Fromt he
ge n e ral i t i e s
of
fan t asy
Nabokov t u rn s t o t he
part i cu l ari t i e s
of Kafka's
st ory .
Nabokov
be gi n s by aski n g
what i s t ran sforme d i n t o
what ,
an d t hi s
re qu i re s
t hat he
pre se n t
some
e n t omol ogi cal
fact s. The fi rst of t he se i s t hat
G re gor
i s a
be e t l e ,
a con cl u si on t hat e n t ai l s a
probl e m
of
l e gs.
Kafka d oe s n ot n u mbe r
t he m,
bu t i n t he i r
"fl i mme ri n g" t he y
se e mt o
G re gor
a
gre at man y .
If
t he y
are more
t han
si x,
"froma
zool ogi cal poi n t
of vi e w"
G re gor
i s n ot an i n se ct
(Le ct u re s 258).
Nabokov t he n offe rs a
psy chol ogi cal e xpl an at i on
for t he
fl i mme ri n g l e gs:
he
(re a-
son abl y )
n ot e s t hat for a cre at u re u se d t o t wo
l e gs,
si x wi l l
se e m,
t he fi rst
t hi n g
on
a
groggy morn i n g,
a
gre at man y .
The re fore ,
Nabokov
con t i n u e s,
"we shal l as-
su me t hat
G re gor
has si x
l e gs,
t hat he i s an i n se ct "
(258).
Thou gh
t he
jocu l ar
cl e an i n g
woman at t he e n d of t he t al e wi l l cal l
G re gor
a
"d u n g-be e t l e " ("Mi st -
kfe r") ,
Nabokov obse rve s t hat t hi s can an d shou l d be re ad as
some t hi n g
of t he
ord e r of a
rou gh
t e rmof affe ct i on . Nabokov t he n n ot e s a d e t ai l t hat
n e at l y
re -
fl e ct s t he d i st an ce i n
t e mpe rame n t
be t we e n Kafka an d hi mse l f.
G re gor
has,
he
t e l l s hi s
st u d e n t s,
"a t re me n d ou s con ve x
be l l y
d i vi d e d i n t o
se gme n t s
an d a hard
rou n d e d back
su gge st i ve
of
wi n g
case s. In be e t l e s t he se case s con ce al
fl i msy
l i t t l e
wi n gs
t hat can be
e xpan d e d
an d t he n
may carry
t he be e t l e for mi l e s an d mi l e s i n
a
bl u n d e ri n g fl i ght . Cu ri ou sl y e n ou gh, G re gor
t he be e t l e n e ve r fou n d ou t t hat
he had
wi n gs
u n d e r t he hard
cove ri n g
of hi s back.
(Thi s
i s a
ve ry
n i ce obse rvat i on
on
my part
t o be t re asu re d al l
y ou r
l i ve s)
"
(259;
cf. Fost e r
448)
. To u n d e rl i n e t hi s
n i ce t y
Nabokov wou l d d raw t he be e t l e for hi s st u d e n t s on t he bl ackboard
(as
he
d i d i n t he
t e achi n g copy
of hi s
book).
Ye ars
l at e r,
i n
1967,
Nabokov was fon d
e n ou gh
of t hi s obse rvat i on t o
re pe at
i t t o an i n t e rvi e we r: ". . . n e i t he r
G re gor
n or hi s make r re al i ze d t hat whe n t he roomwas
be i n g
mad e
by
t he
mai d ,
an d t he
wi n d ow was
ope n ,
he cou l d have fl own ou t an d
e scape d
an d
joi n e d
t he ot he r
happy
d u n g
be e t l e s
rol l i n g
t he
d u n g
bal l s on ru ral
pat hs" (S t ron g O pi n i on s
90-91)
.
That Kafka hi mse l f wan t e d
G re gor
's formt o re mai n i n d i st i n ct i s mad e cl e ar
by
a l e t t e r he se n t t o hi s
pu bl i she r
Ku rt Wol ff on O ct obe r
25t h, 1915,
i n whi ch Kafka
worri e s t hat t he i l l u st rat or for t he vol u me
(O t t omar S t arke )
"cou l d wan t t o d e -
pi ct
t he i n se ct i t se l f. Not t hat ! Pl e ase : n ot t hat !"
(".
. . kn n t e d as In se kt se l bst
ze i chn e n wol l e n . Das
n i cht ,
bi t t e d as
n i cht !,"
Bri e f
e
135)
. Kafka
pol i t e l y
ad d s
t hat ,
al t hou gh
he d oe s n ot wi sh t o
i mpi n ge u pon
t he cre at i ve fre e d omof t he
art i st ,
i n
t hi s case "I mu st cal l
u pon my
be t t e r
kn owl e d ge
of t he
st ory .
The i n se ct can n ot
be d rawn . It can 't e ve n be shown i n t he d i st an ce "
("Das
In se kt se l bst kan n n i cht
ge ze i chn e t
we rd e n . Es kan n abe r n i cht e i n mal von d e r Fe me
ge ze i gt
we rd e n ,"
135).
In
l i ght
of t hi s
wi sh,
Nabokov's
pre ci se
d e l i n e at i on
may
se e mat cross-
pu rpose s
wi t h on e of t he e ffe ct s Kafka wi she d t o achi e ve . Base d as i t
i s, howe ve r,
on
phi l ol ogi cal
at t e n t i on an d
e n t omol ogi cal
acu me n ,
i t i s n ot an
i l l e gi t i mat e
con cl u si on
an d ,
more
i mport an t l y ,
i t i s an accou n t t hat se rve d t o focu s hi s st u -
d e n t s' at t e n t i on on t he
st ory 's
mi n u t e d e t ai l s.
Wi t h t he mat t e r of t he what of
G re gor
's t i t u l ar "t ran sformat i on "
(t he
t e rm
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CO MPARATIVE
LITERATURE/ 324
Nabokov
pre fe rs
ove r t he st an d ard
En gl i sh "me t amorphosi s")
se t t l e d ,
Nabokov
d i re ct s hi s st u d e n t s t o t he how. "The
chan ge ,"
he
say s, "t hou gh shocki n g
an d
st ri ki n g,
i s n ot
qu i t e
so od d as
mi ght
be assu me d at fi rst
gl an ce "
{Le ct u re s 260)
.
Thi s i s a rad i cal
d e cl arat i on ,
an d t he
re ason i n g
t hat fol l ows i s
cu ri ou s,
d ari n g,
an d l e ss t han sol i d . He re mi n d s hi s l i st e n e rs how we are
al l ,
i n t he l i mi n al st at e
be t we e n
sl e e pi n g
an d
waki n g, su bje ct
t o
st ran ge
u n ce rt ai n t i e s an d "fan t asi e s."
"Awake n i n g
as an
i n se ct ,"
say s
Nabokov,
"i s n ot mu ch d i ffe re n t from
awake n i n g
as
Napol e on
or
G e orge Washi n gt on "
-
ad d i n g
for
e mphasi s,
"I kn e w a man who
awoke as t he
Empe ror
of Brazi l "
(260).
Bu t t he
gri ppi n g
an d
profou n d l y
u n se t -
t l i n g
fact abou t
G re gor's awake n i n g
-
a fact t hat Nabokov bru she s ove r
-
i s t hat
i t i s n ot fol l owe d
by
a se con d
awake n i n g
i n whi ch
G re gor grad u al l y
ori e n t s hi m-
se l f an d fi n d s hi s
bod y
whe re he l e ft off wi t h i t . Fromt hi s
poi n t
forward he l i ve s
an d d i e s as an i n se ct . What i s
more ,
G re gor
d oe s n ot t hi n k he i s some ot he r
pe rson
-
he t hi n ks he i s
G re gor
an d an i n se ct .
Nabokov's n e xt
pe d agogi cal st e p
t ake s t he formof a
warn i n g agai n st sy mbol i c
(or al l e gori cal ) re ad i n gs
of t he
st ory .
He i s ve he me n t i n hi s ad mon i t i on s n ot t o
i n t e rpre t
t hi s "t ran sformat i on "
-
an d The
Me t amorphosi s
as a whol e
-
as a
re l i gi ou s
al l e gory ,
a
psy chol ogi cal al l e gory ,
or as
an y
ot he r ki n d of
al l e gory . Ju st
as he
ve he me n t l y re je ct s sy mbol i c
or
my t hol ogi cal i n t e rpre t at i on s
i n t he case s of ot he r
t re asu re d works
-
hi s own an d ot he rs
-
he
re je ct s
su ch
i n t e rpre t at i on s
he re . "I
wan t t o d i smi ss t wo
poi n t s
of
vi e w,"
he
say s.
"I wan t t o d i smi ss
compl e t e l y
Max
Brod 's
opi n i on
t hat t he
cat e gory
of
sai n t hood ,
n ot t hat of
l i t e rat u re ,
i s t he
on l y
on e t hat can be
appl i e d
t o t he
u n d e rst an d i n g
of Kafka's
wri t i n gs.
Kafka was fi rst
of al l an
art i st ,
an d
al t hou gh
i t
may
be mai n t ai n e d t hat
e ve ry
art i st i s a man n e r of
sai n t
(I
fe e l t hat
ve ry cl e arl y my se l f)
,
I d o n ot t hi n k t hat
an y re l i gi ou s i mpl i ca-
t i on s can be re ad i n t o Kafka's
ge n i u s.
The ot he r mat t e r I wan t t o d i smi ss i s t he
Fre u d i an
poi n t
of vi e w"
(Le ct u re s 255).
At hou gh
he con ce d e s t hat Kafka had a
"compl e x re l at i on shi p
wi t h hi s fat he r" an d d oe s n ot
e xpl i ci t l y
re fu t e t he
psy cho-
an al y t i c
con t e n t i on t hat Kafka had a
"l i fe l on g
se n se of
gu i l t ,"
Nabokov
say s
t hat
t he "n on se n se " of t he
psy choan al y t i cal approach
shou l d be
si mpl y "re je ct
[e d ]"
{Le ct u re s 255-56)
. O n t hi s
poi n t
Nabokov cal l s t o t he bar Kafka
hi mse l f,
spe ci fy -
i n g
t hat t he l at t e r
"re gard e d
Fre u d 's t he ori e s as
ve ry approxi mat e , ve ry rou gh
pi ct u re s,
whi ch d i d n ot d o
ju st i ce
t o d e t ai l s." For t hi s
re ason ,
he
con cl u d e s,
"I
shou l d l i ke t o d i smi ss t he Fre u d i an
approach
an d
con ce n t rat e , i n st e ad ,
u pon
t he
art i st i c mome n t "
(Le ct u re s 256)
.
An d
y e t
i t i s at t hi s
poi n t
-
t he
poi n t
at whi ch Nabokov wi she s t o "con ce n -
t rat e . . .
u pon
t he art i st i c mome n t "
-
t hat hi s
re ad i n g
of Kafka commi t s t he car-
d i n al si n i n hi s cri t i cal can on . It i s he re t hat he wi l l fai l t o "d o
ju st i ce
t o d e t ai l s."
Nabokov can
say
t hat
G re gor's
t ran sformat i on i s "n ot
qu i t e
so od d " as i t
mi ght
at
fi rst
appe ar
be cau se ,
i n a ce rt ai n
se n se ,
he come s t o re ad i t as n ot what i t fi rst
appe ars. G re gor
i s
su bje ct
t o a
t ran sformat i on ,
bu t t he t ran sformat i on i n Nabo-
kov's
re ad i n g
i s l e ss i n t o t he
bu g
he d e t ai l e d an d d re w for hi s st u d e n t s t han i n t o a
"ge n i u s."
He st at e s t hat "t he
i sol at i on ,
an d t he
st ran ge n e ss,
of so-cal l e d
re al i t y
-
t hi s
i s,
aft e r
al l ,
some t hi n g
t hat charact e ri ze s t he
art i st ,
t he
ge n i u s,
t he d i scov-
e re r. The S amsa
fami l y
arou n d t he
fan t ast i c
i n se ct i s
n ot hi n g
e l se t han
me d i ocri t y
su rrou n d i n g ge n i u s" (Le ct u re s 260;
my
i t al i cs)
. Aft e r Nabokov's ad mon i t i on s
agai n st
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KAFKA'S REALITY 8c NABO KO V'S
FANTAS Y/325
t re at i n g
t he work as a
re l i gi ou s
or
psy chol ogi cal al l e gory ,
aft e r hi s re mi n d e rs t o
at t e n d t o t he d i vi n e
d e t ai l ,
he make s Kafka's t al e i n t o an
al l e gory
of t he fat e of
t he art i st su rrou n d e d
by u n compre he n d i n g me d i ocri t y .
The
my st e ry
of
G re gor's
me t amorphosi s
i s re sol ve d .
The re are t wo
probl e ms
i n vol ve d
he re ,
on e more
pe d an t i c,
t he ot he r l e ss so.
The more
pe d an t i c probl e m
i s t hat Nabokov vi ol at e s hi s most
ard e n t l y
he l d cre d o
i n
su ccu mbi n g
t o a
fu n d ame n t al l y sy mbol i c re ad i n g
of a work of art
-
an d n ot
ju st
an y
work of
art ,
bu t on e t hat he ran ke d
amon g
t he
ve ry
fi n e st . "I d e t e st
sy mbol s
an d
al l e gori e s,"
we re ad i n "O n a Book En t i t l e d Lol i t a"
(An n ot at e d
Lol i t a
314)
. In
t he l i st of i t e ms offe re d as ad vi ce t o an
i magi n ary "bu d d i n g l i t e rary
cri t i c" Nabokov
wri t e s: "Ask
y ou rse l f
i f t he
sy mbol y ou
have d e t e ct e d i s n ot
y ou r
own
foot pri n t .
Ign ore al l e gori e s" (S t ron g O pi n i on s
66)
. The
probl e m
i s t hat i n t hi s case
-
whi ch
i s n ot
ju st an y
case
-
he d oe s n ot
i gn ore al l e gory .
Hi s
re ad i n g
i s
e ve ry
bi t as al l e -
gori cal
as,
t o choose a ce l e brat e d an d i n fl u e n t i al mome n t i n t he
re ce pt i on
of
Kafka's
cry pt i c st ory ,
G u n t he r An d e rs's cl ai mt hat
G re gor
i s a
"Lu ft me n sch,"
"a
man wi t h hi s he ad i n t he
cl ou d s," who,
i n An d e rs's
word s,
"wan t s t o l i ve as an
art i st " an d t he re fore i s se e n as
n ot hi n g
bu t a
"fi l t hy bu g"
(An d e rs 40-41;
cf.
Corn gol d
68,76).
The l e ss
pe d an t i c probl e m
con ce rn s t he coord i n at e s of Nabokov's
sy mbol i c
i n t e r-
pre t at i on .
No re ason abl e re ad e r wou l d re fu se Nabokov some l at i t u d e i n t hi s d o-
mai n ,
an d n on e wou l d
d e n y
hi mt he
ri ght
t o make
e xce pt i on s
t o hi s
sy mbol i c
ru l e or t o
d e ve l op
hi s me t hod . What t he re ason abl e re ad e r wi l l have t rou bl e wi t h
i s t he
val i d i t y
of hi s
sy mbol i c re ad i n g
as a
sy mbol i c re ad i n g. G re gor
re se mbl e s a
ge n i u s on l y
i n t he most
ge n e ral
an d
su pe rfi ci al way
-
n ot for what he
d oe s,
or
how he
t hi n ks,
or for hi s cre at i ve act s or cre at i ve
u rge s,
bu t
me re l y
for t he d i smi s-
si ve an d
u n compre he n d i n g
man n e r i n whi ch ot he rs t re at hi m. As a
sy mbol i c
re ad -
i n g,
t hi s d oe s n ot
sat i sfy
e ve n rat he r l i mi t e d cri t e ri a. Be fore hi s
t ran sformat i on ,
G re gor
was
pe rfe ct l y
me d i ocre
(as
con ce rn s cri t e ri a of art i st i c
gi ft
or
ge n i u s)
.
Aft e r hi s
t ran sformat i on ,
t he re i s
n ot hi n g
art i st i c abou t hi m
e xce pt
hi s
sorry
l ot .
An d t hi s i s a
gre at
d e al of
sy mbol i c we i ght
t o
l ay u pon
su ch a
fragi l e
base .
What t he n abou t t he ot he r si d e of Nabokov's
sy mbol i c e qu at i on : "me d i ocri t y
su rrou n d i n g ge n i u s"?
Thi s
me d i ocri t y
i s
pri mari l y re pre se n t e d by G re gor's
fam-
i l y .
Hi s fat he r i s
u n ki n d , bru t i sh,
man i pu l at i ve ,
an d ,
as hi n t e d at i n t he
st ory
(he
has be e n
ski mmi n g
off t he
t op
of
G re gor's sal ary
t o make a
fami l y
n e st
e gg
wi t h-
ou t
i n formi n g G re gor)
,
he has
al way s
be e n so.
G re gor's
mot he r i s we l l i n t e n -
t i on e d ,
bu t
we ak, frai l ,
an d
u l t i mat e l y
i n e ffe ct u al . Whe n e ve r she t ri e s t o offe r
some
prot e ct i on
or
con sol at i on ,
she can n ot
ge t e n ou gh
ai r an d
col l apse s. G re gor's
si st e r i s a far more
compl i cat e d
case ,
an d a far more
my st e ri ou s
on e . At t he be -
gi n n i n g
she i s
ge n t l e
an d
u n d e rst an d i n g,
bu t ove r t i me he r he art se e ms t o hard e n
t oward s he r t ran sforme d brot he r. Nabokov d e al s wi t h t hi s
compl e x
an d hau n t -
i n g aspe ct
of t he
st ory
i n
pe re mpt ory
fashi on . He con ce d e s t hat "t hi s i s a cu ri ou s
n ot e : t he
d omi n e e ri n g
si st e r,
t he
st ron g
si st e r of t he
fai ry
t al e s,
t he han d some
bu sy bod y l ord i n g
i t ove r t he fool of t he
fami l y ,
t he
prou d
si st e rs of
Ci n d e re l l a,
t he cru e l e mbl e mof
he al t h,
y ou t h,
an d
bl ossomi n g be au t y
i n t he hou se of d i sas-
t e r an d d u st "
(Le ct u re s 271). Lat e r,
he re t u rn s t o t he "hard he al t h of he r
ru d d y
ad ol e sce n ce " be fore
d e e mi n g
he r
si mpl y
a "vi l l ai n "
(Le ct u re s 272; 275).
Whi l e
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CO MPARATIVE
LITERATURE/ 326
t hi s i s n ot
si mpl y
fal se ,
i t i s n ot accu rat e i n t he
"fai ry
t al e "
way
Nabokov d e scri be s.
At t he ou t se t of hi s l e ct u re s on l i t e rat u re Nabokov
e n joi n e d
hi s st u d e n t s t o re ad
t he works of art u n d e r d i scu ssi on as
"fai ry
t al e s" i n ord e r t o
pre ve n t
t he mfrom
fi n d i n g e asy i n t e rpre t at i on s
for
compl i cat e d
st ori e s. The d e cl arat i on t hat al l
gre at
works we re
gre at fai ry
t al e s was of a
pai r
wi t h hi s cl ai mt hat t he re was "n o re ad -
i n g,
bu t
on l y re re ad i n g";
care fu l
re re ad i n g
wou l d re ve al t he
compl e x
re l at i on s of
t he e l e me n t s of st ori e s i n t he han d s of mast e rfu l wri t e rs
("Cu ri ou sl y e n ou gh,
on e can n ot re ad a book: on e can
on l y
re re ad i t "
[Le ct u re s 3;
Nabokov's
i t al i cs]).
He re , howe ve r,
Nabokov's re cou rse t o
"fai ry
t al e " se rve s
on l y
t o
l i ght e n
hi s i n t e r-
pre t i ve
t ask. It l e ad s hi mt o make of
d i st u rbi n gl y compl e x
charact e rs wi t h
para-
d oxi cal re act i on s t o an
i n compre he n si bl e
st at e of affai rs
(son
an d brot he r be come
i n se ct )
si mpl e
charact e rs vi e we d i n a sche mat i c an d
u l t i mat e l y ge n e ral l i ght .
G re gor's fami l y
i s cre d i t e d wi t h n o more
psy chol ogi cal d e pt h
t han i s t o be fou n d
i n t he
fi gu re s
of a
fai ry
t al e . That he d oe s n ot have re cou rse t o
bi ographi cal
i n t e rpre t at i on ,
whi ch wou l d have al l owe d hi man
an al ogou s si mpl i fi cat i on
i n
n ot i n g u n se t t l i n g paral l e l s
be t we e n
G re gor's
re marks,
e xpe ri e n ce s,
an d d re ams
an d t hose Kafka n ot e d abou t hi s own
l i fe ,
d oe s n ot
mi t i gat e
t hi s fact . Whi l e
G re gor's fami l y
d oe s n ot re act wi t h
an y t hi n g
l i ke
compassi on
or
ge n t l e n e ss,
i t shou l d
n ot be
forgot t e n
t hat wi t hi n t he worl d of t he
st ory
he
i s,
aft e r
al l ,
a be e t l e whose
scarce
u t t e ri n gs
an d
con fu si n g
move me n t s
t he y
have t he
gre at e st d i ffi cu l t y
i d e n -
t i fy i n g
wi t h some
e n d u ri n g
core of
hu man i t y
i n
G re gor's
i n se ct bre ast . An d whi l e
t he y
are n ot
i d e al l y
at t e n t i ve ,
i t i s
wron g
t o
cl ai m,
as Nabokov
d oe s,
t hat i n t he
d ay s i mme d i at e l y fol l owi n g G re gor's
t ran sformat i on
t he y
are
"cosi l y t aki n g
i t i n
t he i r st ri d e "
{Le ct u re s 266)
.
He re ,
as
e l se whe re ,
Nabokov's
re spon se
t o t he
i gn o-
mi n i ou s
fami l y
i s bl ack an d whi t e . Whi l e
G re gor's
si st e r i s i n d e e d at t he ce n t e r of
t hi s
scorn ,
t he i n t e n se re se n t me n t i s
ge n e ral i ze d
u n t i l Nabokov make s of i t an
axi om:
"G re gor
i s a hu man
be i n g
i n an i n se ct 's
d i sgu i se ;
hi s
fami l y
are i n se ct s
d i sgu i se d
as
pe opl e "
-
an d ,
e ve n more
vi ru l e n t l y ,
"The sou l has d i e d wi t h
G re gor;
t he
he al t hy y ou n g
an i mal
[G re t e ]
t ake s ove r. The
parasi t e s
have fat t e n e d t he m-
se l ve s on
G re gor"
(Le ct u re s 280; 282).
Nabokov's
se n si t i vi t y
most
obvi ou sl y
aban d on s hi mi n
d i scu ssi n g
t he
st ory 's
fi n al sce n e . Nabokov
re pe at e d l y
n ot e d an d re fl e ct e d
u pon
hi s
i n abi l i t y
t o
appre -
ci at e mu si c. In hi s
au t obi ography ,
for
e xampl e ,
he d e fi n e s mu si c as "an
arbi t rary
su cce ssi on of more or l e ss
i rri t at i n g
sou n d s"
(S pe ak Me mory
35-36)
. In hi s l e ct u re
on
Kafka,
Nabokov cl ai ms t hat "t ake n i n a
ge n e ral
se n se
mu si c,
as
pe rce i ve d by
i t s
con su me rs,
be l on gs
t o a more
pri mi t i ve ,
more an i mal formi n t he scal e of art s
t han l i t e rat u re or
pai n t i n g,"
an d t hat "t he
i mpact
mu si c i n a
ge n e ral i ze d
an d
pri mi t i ve
formhas on t he l i st e n e r i s of a more
l owl y qu al i t y
t han t he
i mpact
of an
ave rage
book or an
ave rage pi ct u re "
(Le ct u re s 277; 278)
. In
short ,
i t s e ffe ct s are
si mpl y "soot hi n g, l u l l i n g, d u l l i n g"
(Le ct u re s 278)
. Thi s
part i cu l ar pre ju d i ce
wi l l
l e ad hi mt o se e t he fi n al sce n e
t hrou gh
t he most
si mpl i fy i n g
of
opt i cs.
G re t e i s
pl ay i n g
t he vi ol i n
-
whi ch Nabokov d e scri be s for hi s st u d e n t s as "a
gi rl pi t i fu l l y
scrapi n g
on a fi d d l e "
(278).
The re i s n o
ju st i fi cat i on
for t hi s
abu se ,
n o re ason t o
d e d u ce t hat he r
pl ay i n g
i s
pi t i fu l
or e ve n
poor. Thou gh
t he
t horou ghl y phi l i st i n e
l od ge rs
se e md i st ract e d
d u ri n g
t he
pe rforman ce
an d
t ry
above al l t o
phy si cal l y
approach
G re t e ,
t hi s me an s
n ot hi n g
as con ce rn s he r
pl ay i n g. The y
have n 't shown
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KAFKA'S REALITY 8c NABO KO V'S
FANTAS Y/327
t he mse l ve s t o be
part i cu l arl y
se n si t i ve t hu s far i n t he
st ory ,
an d t he re i s n o re ason
t o be l i e ve t hat
t he y
are abl e t o
appre ci at e
mu si c. At t hi s mome n t i n hi s
re ad i n g,
Nabokov at t ri bu t e s hi s own
(hi ghl y i d i osy n crat i c)
vi e w of mu si c t o Kafka: "What
Kafka fe l t abou t mu si c i n
ge n e ral
i s what I have
ju st
d e scri be d : i t s
st u pe fy i n g,
n u mbi n g,
an i mal -l i ke
qu al i t y .
Thi s at t i t u d e mu st be
ke pt
i n mi n d i n
i n t e rpre t i n g
an
i mport an t
se n t e n ce t hat has be e n mi su n d e rst ood
by
some t ran sl at ors. Li t e r-
al l y ,
i t re ad s 'Was
G re gor
an an i mal t o be so affe ct e d
by
mu si c?'"
(278).
Thi s i s
i n d e e d what
G re gor say s,
bu t Nabokov u n d e rst an d s t he word s wi t hou t
graspi n g
t he i r
me an i n g. G re gor's
d re amof
ge n e rosi t y ,
of
se n d i n g
hi s be l ove d l i t t l e si st e r
t o t he
con se rvat ory ,
has van i she d . Wi t h t he i n d i ffe re n ce t o con ve n t i on t hat he r-
al d s hi s
d e at h,
G re gor,
move d
by
t he
mu si c,
shows hi s i n se ct se l f. Thi s art i st i c
se n si bi l i t y
an d
se n si t i vi t y
-
t he
on l y
su ch
se n si t i vi t y G re gor
shows i n t he
st ory
an d
t hu s,
had Nabokov wan t e d t o con vi n ce u s
G re gor
was a
ge n i u s,
a cru ci al
pi e ce
of
t he
pu zzl e
-
i s d i smi sse d
by
Nabokov as
me re l y
"an i mal i c"
(278).
The
ge n t l e pa-
t hos of
G re gor's
st at e an d t he i n d e t e rmi n abl e
i ron y
of Kafka's t on e are e l e me n t s
t hat Nabokov
pi cks u p
e l se whe re i n t he
st ory
-
bu t n ot he re .12
What Nabokov fai l s t o
re cogn i ze
i s
some t hi n g
fu n d ame n t al abou t Kafka an d
hi s cre at i on s.
Be i n g
or
be comi n g
an an i mal
-
or an i n se ct
-
i n Kafka's works i s a
hi ghl y spe ci fi c
affai r an d i n vol ve s a
proce ss whe re by
a cre at u re 's
hu man i t y ,
for
l ack of a be t t e r
word ,
t e n d s t o be
au gme n t e d
an d acce n t e d . In
1920,
Kafka's
fri e n d G u st av
Jan ou ch brou ght
hi man
En gl i sh
book,
Davi d G arn e t t 's
Lad y
i n t o
Fox,
whi ch
Jan ou ch
d e n ou n ce d as
havi n g copi e d
t he me t hod s Kafka had i n ve n t e d
i n The
Me t amorphosi s.
Kafka
i mme d i at e l y re je ct e d
t he i d e a: "he d i d n ot
copy
t hat
fromme
-
i t i s
part
of ou r t i me s. We bot h
copi e d
i t . An i mal s are cl ose r t o u s t han
me n . Those are t he bars of t he
cage ."13
A we e k
l at e r,
Kafka re t u rn e d t o t he i d e a
i n hi s t al ks wi t h
Jan ou ch:
"e ach of u s l i ve s be hi n d bars t hat we
carry
wi t h u s
whe re ve r we
go.
Thi s i s
why
t he re i s so mu ch
wri t i n g
abou t an i mal s. It i s an e x-
pre ssi on
of t he d e si re for a fre e an d n at u ral l i fe "
(Jan ou ch
43)
. What Kafka wi she d
t o
e xpre ss t hrou gh
hi s i n se ct an d t he re st of hi s an i mal
me n age ri e
was t hat mod -
e rn l i fe an d
l an gu age
carri e d t he i r own bars
-
an d on e s n ot
e asi l y pu l l e d
d own .
The
ape
of "A
Re port
t o t he
Acad e my ,"
t he be e t l e of The
Me t amorphosi s,
t he mi ce
of
'Jose phi n e
t he
S i n ge r,"
t he
d og
of "The
In ve st i gat i on s
of a
Dog,"
an d t he
ot he r
e n i gmat i c
cre at u re s i n Kafka's
works,
al l
e xpre ss
a
l on gi n g
for "a fre e an d
n at u ral l i fe ."
At t he ou t se t of hi s
l e ct u re ,
Nabokov l i n ks The
Me t amorphosi s
wi t h
G ogol 's
"The O ve rcoat " an d
d i st i n gu i she s
t he t wo fromS t e ve n son 's Dr.
Je ky l l
an d Mr.
12
Con si d e r,
for
e xampl e ,
Nabokov's comme n t
t hat ,
"Kafka's art con si st s i n
accu mu l at i n g
on t he
on e
han d ,
G re gor's
i n se ct
fe at u re s,
al l t he sad d e t ai l of hi s i n se ct
d i sgu i se ,
an d on t he ot he r
han d ,
i n
ke e pi n g
vi vi d an d
l i mpi d
be fore t he re ad e r's
e y e s G re gor's
swe e t an d su bt l e hu man n at u re "
(Le c-
t u re s
270).
13
In hi s aft e rword t o Lol i t a Nabokov
e mpl oy s
t hi s same
fi gu re
of an an i mal
(an
ape )
i n a
cage
t o
d e scri be t he mome n t of
i n spi rat i on
t hat
pre ce d e d
hi s
wri t i n g
of t hat work:
"
The fi rst l i t t l e t hrob of
Lol i t a we n t
t hrou gh
me l at e i n 1939 or
e arl y
i n
1940,
i n
Pari s,
at a t i me whe n I was l ai d
u p
wi t h a
se ve re at t ack of i n t e rcost al
n e u ral gi a.
As far as I can
re cal l ,
t he i n i t i al shi ve r of
i n spi rat i on
was
some how
prompt e d by
a
n e wspape r st ory
abou t an
ape
i n t he
Jard i n
d e s
Pl an t e s, who,
aft e r mon t hs
of
coaxi n g by
a
sci e n t i st ,
prod u ce d
t he fi rst
d rawi n g
e ve r charcoal e d
by
an an i mal : t hi s ske t ch showe d
t he bars of t he
poor
cre at u re 's
cage " (An n ot at e d
Lol i t a
311).
Thi s art i cl e has n e ve r be e n
fou n d ,
an d
t he re i s
e ve ry
re ason t o be l i e ve t hat Nabokov i n ve n t e d i t for t he occasi on .
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CO MPARATIVE LITERATURE
/ 328
Hy d e .
O f t he l at t e r he
say s,
"t he re i s n o su ch hu man
pat hos,
n o t hrob i n t he
t hroat of t he
st ory ,
n on e of t hat i n t on at i on of 'I can n ot
ge t
ou t ,
I can n ot
ge t
ou t ,'
sai d t he
st arl i n g
(so
he art re n d i n g
i n S t e rn e 's
fan t asy
A S e n t i me n t al
Jou rn e y )
"
(254)
.
The mome n t of hu man
pat hos re pre se n t e d by G re gor's approachi n g
hi s
si st e r,
t hi s t hrob i n t he t hroat of Kafka* s
st ory ,
i s t he mome n t Nabokov u se s t o ad van ce
t he
su spe ct t he ory
t hat
he re ,
at
l ast ,
G re gor's
t ran sformat i on i s
compl e t e : by
su ccu mbi n g
t o mu si c he has
fi n al l y
an d
fu l l y
be come "an i mal i c" an d hi s me t a-
morphi c
race has ru n
(cf.
De l e u ze an d G u at t ari
5-6, 10-11).
Bu t more t han
an y -
t hi n g
e l se i t shows hi md e af t o a
t ou chi n g t on al i t y
i n Kafka's
wri t i n g.
To borrow
an
e pi t he t
from
Word swort h,
be i n g
an an i mal i n Kafka's worl d s i s t hat whi ch i s
most
l i ke l y
t o "hu man i ze
[t he ]
sou l ." Bu t bot h Nabokov's
pe rson al
d i st ast e for
mu si c an d t he coord i n at e s of hi s
sy mbol i c i n t e rpre t at i on
l e ad hi mt o
n e gl e ct
t hi s.
7. Parabl e s
Nabokov's works abou n d wi t h i n d i cat i on s t hat ami d st t he
mi sl e ad i n g pat hs
an d
d e ce pt i ve sy mbol s
t he re i s
some t hi n g
l i ke a
u n i qu e
sol u t i on t o t he
probl e ms
pose d .
It i s for t hi s re ason t hat he so oft e n
compare d
t he
composi t i on
of hi s
works t o ri d d l e s an d che ss
probl e ms
-
t o
t hi n gs
wi t h a
si n gl e
corre ct
re spon se .
Thi s d oe s n ot
me an , howe ve r,
t hat al l t he
my st e ri e s
have
be e n ,
or can
be ,
d i s-
pe l l e d . Throu ghou t
hi s l i fe Nabokov
ard e n t l y
d e fe n d e d t he d e t ai l s of che ri she d
works of art
agai n st ge n e ral i zi n g i n t e rpre t at i on s
of t he m. An d
y e t
hi s
re ad i n g
of
The
Me t amorphosi s
i s a
gl ari n g
case of
pre ci se l y
su ch an
i n t e rpre t at i on .
S ome of
t hi s can be at t ri bu t e d t o t he fact t hat i n t he case of Kafka Nabokov
may
have fe l t
hi mse l f on
shaky grou n d
i n
l e ct u ri n g
abou t a n at i on al
l i t e rary
t rad i t i on he d i d
n ot kn ow
e spe ci al l y
we l l . Bu t t he re i s more t o t he mat t e r.
In a
post hu mou sl y pu bl i she d fragme n t
Kafka on ce wrot e :
Man y compl ai n
t hat t he word s of t he wi se are
al way s me re l y parabl e s
an d of n o u se i n
d ai l y
l i fe ,
whi ch i s t he
on l y
l i fe we have . Whe n t he
sage say s:
"G o
ove r,"
he d oe s n ot me an t hat we shou l d cross
ove r t o some act u al
pl ace ,
whi ch we cou l d d o
an y how
i f t he l abor we re wort h
i t ;
he me an s some
fabu l ou s
y on d e r, some t hi n g
u n kn own t o
u s,
some t hi n g
t oo t hat he can n ot
d e si gn at e
more
pre -
ci se l y ,
an d t he re fore can n ot
he l p
u s he re i n t he
ve ry
l e ast . Al l t he se
parabl e s re al l y
se t ou t t o
say
me re l y
t hat t he
i n compre he n si bl e
i s
i n compre he n si bl e ,
an d we kn ow t hat
al re ad y .
Bu t t he care s we
have t o
st ru ggl e
wi t h
e ve ry d ay :
t hat i s a d i ffe re n t mat t e r.
Con ce rn i n g
t hi s a man on ce sai d :
Why
su ch re l u ct an ce ? If
y ou on l y
fol l owe d t he
parabl e s y ou
y ou rse l ve s
wou l d be come
parabl e s
an d wi t h t hat ri d
y ou rse l f
of al l
y ou r d ai l y
care s.
An ot he r sai d : I be t t hat i s al so a
parabl e .
The fi rst sai d : You have won .
The se con d sai d : Bu t
u n fort u n at e l y on l y
i n
parabl e .
The fi rst sai d :
No,
i n
re al i t y :
i n
parabl e y ou
have l ost .
(Kafka 457)
Wal t e r
Be n jami n apt l y
n ot e s: "Kafka
d i spose d
of a rare
gi ft
for t he cre at i on of
parabl e s.
Ye t hi s
parabl e s
are n e ve r e xhau st e d
by
what i s
e xpl ai n abl e ;
on t he
con t rary ,
he t ook
e ve ry
con ce i vabl e
pre cau t i on agai n st
t he i r
i n t e rpre t at i on "
(S e -
l e ct e d
Wri t i n gs
804
[t ran sl at i on mod i fi e d ];
"Trot zd e m
e rschpft
e r si ch i n
d e m,
was d e u t bar
i st , n i e mal s,
hat vi e l me hr ai l e e rd e n kl i che n
Vorke hru n ge n ge ge n
d i e
Au sl e gu n g
se i n e r Te xt e
ge t roffe n "
(G e samme l t e
S chri ft e n
2.422).
Be n jami n
cl ai ms t hat t he t wo su re st
way s
of
mi si n t e rpre t i n g
Kafka's works are
i n t e rpre t i n g
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KAFKA'S REALITY & NABO KO V'S
FANTAS Y/329
t he mi n e i t he r a n at u ral or
su pe rn at u ral
fashi on
(or, al t e rn at e l y ,
i n a
psy choan a-
l y t i cal
or
t he ol ogi cal
fashi on ) ,
an d i n t hi s he
an t i ci pat e s
Nabokov's
warn i n gs
(G e s-
amme l t e
S chri ft e n
2.425)
. The e sse n ce of Kafka's
parabol i c ge n i u s
was,
for
Be n jami n ,
hi s
abi l i t y
t o
compose parabl e s
wi t h n o d e fi n i t e
me an i n g.
The more
cl ose l y t he y
are
fol l owe d ,
t he more
rapi d l y t he y
re ce d e ;
t he i r
ge n i u s
re si d e s i n t he i r i n e x-
hau st i bi l i t y . Fol l owi n g
i n
Be n jami n 's foot st e ps,
Ad orn o wrot e t hat Kafka's
para-
bl e s
"e xpre ss
t he mse l ve s
[d ri i ckt
si ck . .
au s]
n ot
t hrou gh
t he i r
e xpre ssi on
[Au sd ru ck]
bu t
t hrou gh
t he i r
re fu sal ,
t hrou gh
t he i r
i n t e rru pt i on
. . . Each se n t e n ce
say s:
i n -
t e rpre t
me an d n on e wi l l
pe rmi t
i t "
(G e samme l t e
S chri ft e n
10.1.255)
. An d he we n t
on t o cl ai mt hat i n Kafka's works "t he
con t e mpl at i ve
re l at i on be t we e n t e xt an d
re ad e r" was shake n "t o i t s
ve ry
root s"
(Pri sms 246)
. More
re ce n t l y , G u y Dave n port
has wri t t e n t hat
"si gn s
an d
sy mbol s
have n o cl ai mon
Kafka,
who wre cks t rad i t i on
rat he r t han t ru st
an y part
of i t "
(5),
an d We rn e r Harn ache r has
argu e d
t hat i n
Kafka's work t rad i t i on i s "t ran sforme d . . . i n t o a
gi vi n g
an d an
i mpart i n g
[G e be n
u n d
We i t e rge be n ]
t hat has n o
con t e n t ,
n o
l on ge r
has a
gi ft
t o
gi ve be y on d gi vi n g
i t se l f
[d as
ke i n e n
In hal t ,
ke i n e G abe
me hrgi bt ,
son d e rn n u rd i e s G e be n
se l be r]
"
(289)
.
In
short ,
for Kafka's most
pe rce pt i ve
re ad e rs hi s
sy mbol s
are
e spe ci al l y
n ot abl e
for t he i r
opaci t y ,
t he i r
i n d e t e rmi n acy ,
for n e ve r
be i n g su bje ct
t o
an y t hi n g
l i ke a
d e ci si ve
i n t e rpre t at i on .
Ke at s saw
S hake spe are
as
"posse ss [i n g]
so
e n ormou sl y "
what he cal l e d
"Ne gat i ve Capabi l i t y "
-
t he
capaci t y
t o re mai n "i n
u n ce rt ai n t i e s,
My st e ri e s,
d ou bt s,
wi t hou t
an y
i rri t abl e
re achi n g
aft e r fact & re ason "
(260-61)
Kafka d oe s n ot
re qu i re
t hat hi s re ad e rs an d
i n t e rpre t e rs
re n ou n ce fact an d re a-
son ,
bu t he d oe s ask t he mt o re mai n i n
"u n ce rt ai n t i e s,
My st e ri e s,
d ou bt s." O n e of
t he most d i ffi cu l t t asks for a
good
re ad e r an d a
good
wri t e r i s t o l ocat e
sy mbol i c
aspe ct s
of t he work of art an d t o d e scri be t he mwi t h a
se n si t i vi t y
t hat d oe s n ot
re d u ce t he mt o
si mpl e
coord i n at e s
(su ch
as
"ge n i u s"
vs.
"me d i ocri t y ").
Nabokov
showe d
gre at fi d e l i t y
t o t he i n d i vi d u al d e t ai l s of works of art an d d e fe n d e d t hose
works he l ove d
-
an d wrot e
-
agai n st si mpl i fy i n g sy mbol i c i n t e rpre t at i on s.
An d
y e t
hi s re ad e rs shou l d n ot ove rl ook t hat i n t he case of
Kafka,
whe t he r be cau se of
t he
posi t i on
fromwhi ch he
gave
hi s l e ct u re s
(t he
profe ssori al pod i u m
an d t he
e xpe ct at i on s
of
mast e ry
i t
e n cou rage s)
,
be cau se of t he
e xt raord i n ary
d e man d s
t hat Kafka's works make
u pon
t he i r
re ad e rs,
or be cau se of Nabokov's
pre fe re n ce
for d e t e rmi n at e i f d i ffi cu l t
i n t e rpre t at i on s,
he
i gn ore d
hi s own
i n ju n ct i on s
an d
vi ol at e d hi s own
i n t e rpre t i ve pre ce pt s.
Harvard
Un i ve rsi t y
Works Ci t e d
Ad orn o,
The od or
Wi e se n gru n d .
G e samme l t e
S chri ft e n . He rau sge ge be n
von Rol f Ti e d e man n u n t e r
Mi t wi rku n g
von G re t e l
Ad orn o,
S u san Bu ck-Morss u n d Kl au s S chu l t z. 20 vol s. Fran kfu rt amMai n :
S u hrkamp,
1973-1986.

. Pri sms. Tran s. S amu e l an d

S hi e rry
We be r.
Cambri d ge :
MIT
Pre ss,
1981.
Be n jami n ,
Wal t e r. G e samme l t e
S chri ft e n .
Ed . Rol f Ti e d e man n an d He rman
S chwe ppe n hu se r.
Fran k-
fu rt amMai n :
S u hrkamp Ve rl ag,
1974-1989.
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