Alejanuio Nenuoza

R0S 2u7
The Sanctimonious Peiveision of Choib
The uichotomy between light anu uaik oi black anu white appeais ubiquitously
thioughout Nabokov's shoit stoiy "The Retuin of Choib". Bespite the seemingly
iestiicteu symbolism of this paii-wise conjunction, Nabokov expanus this
tiauitionally binaiy meaning into a multifaiious metaphoi that enuows the stoiy
with numeious shaues of liteiaiy significance. By incluuing vaiious foims anu
states of light as well as incoipoiating a vaiiety of the meuiums thiough which it
tiavels anu with which it inteiacts, Nabokov is able to extenu light into a
Wagneiian leitmotif that expiesses connections within the text itself, allusions, anu
a multiplicity of metaphois. This essay will focus mainly on the use of light as a
ciitique on sexual iuealization as seen in Chiistian uogma anu stoiies such as
"Paisifal" anu the 0ipheus myth.
Fiom the seconu sentence an alliteiative iefeience to optical phenomena sets the
ambience of the scene. The "lusteiless" (S81) aii of the bouigeois life the Kelleis
leau casts a shaue of boieuom on the antiquateu setting uesciibeu. This lack of
biightness connects with the "lifeless" (ibiu.) quality of the stieets, the only souice
of tempoiaiy iespite fiom the monotony of the city being the "leisuiely" (ibiu.)
Wagnei. Consiueiing Nabokov's fame foi woiu play, it is no acciuent that the fiist
couple of sentences incluue a subtle linguistic tie between some of the main motifs
in the stoiy: the use of light as its main symbolic souice, as well as the ciucial
paiallel with Wagnei's "Paisival".
The fiist two connections with the light's symbolism aie politics anu ieligion,
iespectively. The "lusteiless" quality of the city aftei the opeia, combineu with
Kellei's semblance to Paul Kiugei-one of the main people in the Boei ("faimei")
movement, paiallel to the Soviet 0nion's uisciimination against the Kulaks that
hau began to giow aiounu the time Nabokov wiote the stoiy-signifies an
ambivalent ciiticism to the Kelleis' bouigeois lifestyle. 0n the one hanu, the
opaque chaiacteiistic of the scene woulu seem to imply a soit of stagnation,
seemingly ciiticizing the ielatively opulent (at least in contiast to an migi) moue
of living of the Kelleis. Bowevei, this ciitique is not a seveie one when one
consiueis that Nabokov compaies Kellei with "0om" Paul Kiugei ("0ncle") (S81),
an affectionate teim to iefei to Kiugei. Thus, the implication is moie of a
melancholic loss of vitality thiough age. The iefeience to Kellei's "simian" (ibiu.)
anu "apish" (S84) face is linkeu to Baiwin's theoiy of evolution-then thought to
iule ovei socio-political aspects as well-anu thus implying that the Kelleis aie
simply vestiges neai the enu of theii age, moie victims of theii lusteiless
enviionment than acting on theii uaik peisonalities. The light metaphoi is thus
set up anu its impoitance highlighteu.
A similai optical symbol is utilizeu to unueiscoie Nabokov's uisappioval of the
Chuich's anachionistic iesilience. Be wiites how the watei hau "shau|euj gently
the ieflecteu catheuial foi well ovei seven centuiies" (S81) anu poitiays the
cleigyman in Nice as "uisagieeable" anu "consumptive" (S82), whilst in anothei
scene "the catheuial towei was shaiply set off in black against |thej sunset" (S8S).
Souices that woulu usually biing gieatei lighting-the tianspaient anu ieflective
watei anu the sun-obscuie the ieligious builuings in the stoiy. Along with the
"uisagieeable" membei of the chuich, this uaik poitiayal of the ieligious
institutions acioss boiueis (ueimany, Fiance, anu Switzeilanu) weaves a symbolic
iepuuiation of the cleiical oiganization. Thus, light anu one of its meuiums (watei)
is useu in its complementaiy foim as a negative liteiaiy association.
The iecuiient appeaiance of the light motif miiiois Wagnei's use of leitmotifs.
Theie is an explicit allusion to Wagnei's "Paisival", in which Paisival is uesciibeu
as he who is "enlighteneu thiough compassion"
1
. In contiast to his wife, Choib is
constantly associateu with uaikness. While he cannot iemembei the Swiss
lanuscape he easily iecognizes the "Black Foiest" (S8S) anu tiies to finu "that
unique iounueu black pebble with the iegulai little white belt" (ibiu.), a symbol of
his ielationship with his late wife. When he ie-visits the ioom he anu his wife
stayeu in, we see that "the shauow of the choiu gliueu acioss the gieen couch"
(S8S) in which he hau slept the night they'u escapeu. Noieovei, afteiwaius we
ieau of a "black pooule with apathetic eyes" (S84) uiinating on a playbill
announcing "Paisival". Like Paisival, we see that Choib is chaste, "kiss|ing his
wifej once-on the hollow of the thioat-that hau been all in the way of love-
making" (S8S). }ust as Wagnei's "Paisival" piaises chastity, Nabokov-like the
pooule's liteial insult-scoins at the iuea. Choib's oiphic quest to immoitalize his
wife (who uieu, like Euiyuice, fiom the 'bite' of an 'electiic snake'-the cable) enus
up iiiepaiably scaiiing hei image. }ust as "an electiic stieam, the same stieam
which, when pouieu into glass ieceptacles, yielus the puiest anu biightest light"
(S82) eiaseu Choib's nameless wife fiom physical existence, so uoes Choib's
piofuse iuealization of hei image vanquish hei puiity anu tiansfoims it into an
abject concept. The authoi enus up equating the piostitute Choib hiies with his

1
The full libietto can be founu at http:www.iwagnei.nete-fiame.html
wife; aftei Choib wakes up anu "see|sj his wife lying besiue him" (S89) insteau of
the giil he hiieu, anu, shoitly aftei, when Kellei is tolu Choib is with a woman, he
claims that "she's |hisj uaughtei" (S9u). Thus, Choib's neai apotheosis of his wife
enus up ieuucing hei to a "hailot" (S89). Bis unnatuial chastity, like the one
imposeu by the Chuich anu exalteu by Wagnei in his opeia, yielueu the exact
opposite of what he ostensibly uesiieu.
Analogous to Choib's methouology piouucing the contiaiy iesult that he
expecteu, Nabokov utilizes Wagnei's own use of leitmotifs as a scathing symbolic
counteiaigument to the ovei-iuealization of sexuality anu Chiistian uogma.
Similai to light being the souice of uaikness (foi without light theie is ceitainly no
uaikness), the misguiueu abstiaction of sex can uebase it to puie peiveision.




Bibliogiaphy
All page iefeiences aie to:
Biown, Claience. !"# %&'()*+# !,#-(.#("/0#-(1'2 3144.)- 3#)5#'. New Yoik:
Penguin, 199S. Piint.