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Re: Fwd: Query: the choice of the name "Ada"
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Here are two more Adelaidas whom I forgot to mention yesterday:
1. Adelaida Svetozarov, author of the novel "Otravitel'nitsa" ("The
Poisoner"). See The Gift, end of Chapter Three. She might be of a particular
interest to Carolyn Kunin who contemplated writing an article "Yady Ady"
(Ada's poisons).
2. Adelaida Epanchin in Dostoevsky's "Idiot", one of the three sisters
(sredniaia sestra), the one who loved painting.
Besides, I find in my old notes that there is a story "Adel'" (1831) by M.
Pogodin. Probably insignificant.
I didn't mention Ada Byron, because she was already mentioned by Carolyn
and, besides, I included only literary characters.
Alexey
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2005 2:03 AM
Subject: Re: Fwd: Query: the choice of the name "Ada"
> Dear List,
>
> Here is my addendum to the list that Marie Bouchet has compiled of the
> intertextual references of the name "Ada":
>
> 1. Adelaide Fouque in Zola's monstrous Family Chronicle "Les
> Rougons-Macquart."
>
> 2. Two Adeles: "Big Adele" and "the other Adele" in Paul Alexis' story "La
> fin de Lucie Pelegrin."
> (For the links connecting Ada Veen to her French namesakes, see my notes
in
> the latest issue of The Nabokovian)
>
> 3. Little Ada (Lavretsky's wife - illegitimate? - daughter) in Turgenev's
> novel "Dvoryanskoe gnezdo" ("The House of the Gentry"). It seems that
there
> is no direct connection between the two Adas, but there are obvious
> parallels between other caracters in ADA and the Turgenev novel.
>
> 4. Alexei Filimonov drew my attention to Lermontov's early long poem
"Angel
> smerti" ("The Angel of Death"). The heroine's name is Ada. Lermontov is
very
> important in ADA, but I found no connection between the two girls.
>
> 5. If I'm not mistaken, the heroine of one of Byron's long poems
> ("Manfred"?) is called Ada. No?
>
> I hope to explain the name Van Veen one day.
>
> Alexey Sklyarenko
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2005 1:14 AM
> Subject: Fwd: Query: the choice of the name "Ada"
>
>
> > Dear List,
> >
> > I've been thinking about the possible origins of the name "Ada", and I
> > gathered elements from Nabokovian critics, from the List, and from my
own
> > reflections.
> > I would like to submit them to you. I would be very grateful if you
could
> > give me your opinion on them and suggest further references / possible
> > origins.
> >
> > Linguistic echoes in the name itself:
> >
> > A-da (yes)
> > Ada (hell, accusative case?? In Russian)
> > Ada = to wear jewels in Hebrew (adi = jewel) (I ignore if Nabokov was
> > familiar with Hebrew)
> >
> >
> > Sound parallels:
> >
> > Ada / Ardor
> > Ada / Adora (cf source-text to Ada) / Adorée
> > Ada / Adam / Eden
> >
> > It is to be noted that "Ada" is a palindrome (a structure that is based
on
> > symmetry and can thus be related to the numerous mirror effects and
> doubles
> > in the novel). As such the name has an unusual stability in Nabokov's
use
> of
> > language: indeed "Ada" cannot be turned into an anagram.
> >
> >
> > Intertextual references:
> >
> > Ada, character from Dickens's Bleak House.
> > Ada, girl friend mentioned by Alice: "I'm sure I'm not Ada," she said,
> "for
> > her hair goes in such long ringlets, and mine doesn't go in ringlets at
> > all." (L. Carroll, Alice in Wonderland, Norton, 1992, 15)
> >
> >
> > Painting reference:
> >
> > Serov's painting, "portrait of Adelaida Simonovich"
> >
> > Thank you for your help!
> >
> > Marie Bouchet.
> >
> > ----- End forwarded message -----
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
----- End forwarded message -----
1. Adelaida Svetozarov, author of the novel "Otravitel'nitsa" ("The
Poisoner"). See The Gift, end of Chapter Three. She might be of a particular
interest to Carolyn Kunin who contemplated writing an article "Yady Ady"
(Ada's poisons).
2. Adelaida Epanchin in Dostoevsky's "Idiot", one of the three sisters
(sredniaia sestra), the one who loved painting.
Besides, I find in my old notes that there is a story "Adel'" (1831) by M.
Pogodin. Probably insignificant.
I didn't mention Ada Byron, because she was already mentioned by Carolyn
and, besides, I included only literary characters.
Alexey
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2005 2:03 AM
Subject: Re: Fwd: Query: the choice of the name "Ada"
> Dear List,
>
> Here is my addendum to the list that Marie Bouchet has compiled of the
> intertextual references of the name "Ada":
>
> 1. Adelaide Fouque in Zola's monstrous Family Chronicle "Les
> Rougons-Macquart."
>
> 2. Two Adeles: "Big Adele" and "the other Adele" in Paul Alexis' story "La
> fin de Lucie Pelegrin."
> (For the links connecting Ada Veen to her French namesakes, see my notes
in
> the latest issue of The Nabokovian)
>
> 3. Little Ada (Lavretsky's wife - illegitimate? - daughter) in Turgenev's
> novel "Dvoryanskoe gnezdo" ("The House of the Gentry"). It seems that
there
> is no direct connection between the two Adas, but there are obvious
> parallels between other caracters in ADA and the Turgenev novel.
>
> 4. Alexei Filimonov drew my attention to Lermontov's early long poem
"Angel
> smerti" ("The Angel of Death"). The heroine's name is Ada. Lermontov is
very
> important in ADA, but I found no connection between the two girls.
>
> 5. If I'm not mistaken, the heroine of one of Byron's long poems
> ("Manfred"?) is called Ada. No?
>
> I hope to explain the name Van Veen one day.
>
> Alexey Sklyarenko
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2005 1:14 AM
> Subject: Fwd: Query: the choice of the name "Ada"
>
>
> > Dear List,
> >
> > I've been thinking about the possible origins of the name "Ada", and I
> > gathered elements from Nabokovian critics, from the List, and from my
own
> > reflections.
> > I would like to submit them to you. I would be very grateful if you
could
> > give me your opinion on them and suggest further references / possible
> > origins.
> >
> > Linguistic echoes in the name itself:
> >
> > A-da (yes)
> > Ada (hell, accusative case?? In Russian)
> > Ada = to wear jewels in Hebrew (adi = jewel) (I ignore if Nabokov was
> > familiar with Hebrew)
> >
> >
> > Sound parallels:
> >
> > Ada / Ardor
> > Ada / Adora (cf source-text to Ada) / Adorée
> > Ada / Adam / Eden
> >
> > It is to be noted that "Ada" is a palindrome (a structure that is based
on
> > symmetry and can thus be related to the numerous mirror effects and
> doubles
> > in the novel). As such the name has an unusual stability in Nabokov's
use
> of
> > language: indeed "Ada" cannot be turned into an anagram.
> >
> >
> > Intertextual references:
> >
> > Ada, character from Dickens's Bleak House.
> > Ada, girl friend mentioned by Alice: "I'm sure I'm not Ada," she said,
> "for
> > her hair goes in such long ringlets, and mine doesn't go in ringlets at
> > all." (L. Carroll, Alice in Wonderland, Norton, 1992, 15)
> >
> >
> > Painting reference:
> >
> > Serov's painting, "portrait of Adelaida Simonovich"
> >
> > Thank you for your help!
> >
> > Marie Bouchet.
> >
> > ----- End forwarded message -----
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
----- End forwarded message -----