Subject
SIGNS: On Elbows and Black Trousers
From
Date
Body
Jerry Friedman writes:
I think Barrie Karp and Anthony Stadlen are describing the
same position in two different ways.
Why "bare elbows" rather than "his hands clasped behind his
head" or some such? The elbows in that position are the
highest point of the body and stand out. If the view of him
is cut off by the windowsill or something, his elbows and
his legs (if his knees are drawn up) might be the only parts of
him that are clearly visible; the position of his hands could
be inferred but wouldn't be seen. Likewise if he's seen
"feet-first", his legs and his raised elbows might be the most
prominently visible parts of his body, again especially if
his knees are drawn up.
In addition to agreeing with Barrie Karp, the image is
somewhat grotesque and depersonalizing, with no face visible.
Now we can ask why Nabokov wanted that. The sort of "contact"
with people the couple often have in their poor urban
neighborhood?
Were black pants ordinary clothing at the time, or are they
a sign that the man has been to a wedding or a funeral?
While I'm replying to you, Dr. Stadlen, I apologize for forgetting
that you brought up 666. I've read several things about the story
lately and wasn't enough of a scholar to remember or note what I
read where.
Jerry Friedman
--- On Sat, 5/3/08, Barrie Karp <barriekarp@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> From: Barrie Karp <barriekarp@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] [NABOKOV - LIST] : signs and symbols, chapter three and four
> To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> Date: Saturday, May 3, 2008, 11:10 AM
> If you try to get in that position, you will see that
> it's more likely that
> his hands are holding his head, or rather, to make more
> sense of it, that
> his head is in his hands. This way, my elbows did stick
> up, whereas with
> "hands clasped below resting head" -- in that
> position the elbows don't
> stick up as much. Why not just say it? Because VN likes
> unexpected visual
> images, and wants readers to think this through. The
> elbows are a visual
> detail, a kind of punctum. And yes, the text brings elbows
> seen sticking up
> in the air ("elbows raised") into a picture we
> haven't realized, as the unconscious might do also.
>
> Barrie Karp
>
> On Fri, May 2, 2008 at 8:49 AM, Anthony Stadlen
> <STADLEN@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > In a message dated 02/05/2008 11:15:29 GMT Standard
> Time,
> > barriekarp@GMAIL.COM writes:
> >
> > "Across the narrow yard where the rain tinkled in
> the dark against some
> > battered ash cans, windows were blandly alight and in
> one of the a
> > black-trousered man with his bare elbows raised could
> be seen lying supine
> > on an untidy bed."
> >
> > I have wondered about this, too. Could he have his
> hands clasped below
> > his resting head? But then why not say so?
> >
> > Anthony Stadlen
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I think Barrie Karp and Anthony Stadlen are describing the
same position in two different ways.
Why "bare elbows" rather than "his hands clasped behind his
head" or some such? The elbows in that position are the
highest point of the body and stand out. If the view of him
is cut off by the windowsill or something, his elbows and
his legs (if his knees are drawn up) might be the only parts of
him that are clearly visible; the position of his hands could
be inferred but wouldn't be seen. Likewise if he's seen
"feet-first", his legs and his raised elbows might be the most
prominently visible parts of his body, again especially if
his knees are drawn up.
In addition to agreeing with Barrie Karp, the image is
somewhat grotesque and depersonalizing, with no face visible.
Now we can ask why Nabokov wanted that. The sort of "contact"
with people the couple often have in their poor urban
neighborhood?
Were black pants ordinary clothing at the time, or are they
a sign that the man has been to a wedding or a funeral?
While I'm replying to you, Dr. Stadlen, I apologize for forgetting
that you brought up 666. I've read several things about the story
lately and wasn't enough of a scholar to remember or note what I
read where.
Jerry Friedman
--- On Sat, 5/3/08, Barrie Karp <barriekarp@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> From: Barrie Karp <barriekarp@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] [NABOKOV - LIST] : signs and symbols, chapter three and four
> To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> Date: Saturday, May 3, 2008, 11:10 AM
> If you try to get in that position, you will see that
> it's more likely that
> his hands are holding his head, or rather, to make more
> sense of it, that
> his head is in his hands. This way, my elbows did stick
> up, whereas with
> "hands clasped below resting head" -- in that
> position the elbows don't
> stick up as much. Why not just say it? Because VN likes
> unexpected visual
> images, and wants readers to think this through. The
> elbows are a visual
> detail, a kind of punctum. And yes, the text brings elbows
> seen sticking up
> in the air ("elbows raised") into a picture we
> haven't realized, as the unconscious might do also.
>
> Barrie Karp
>
> On Fri, May 2, 2008 at 8:49 AM, Anthony Stadlen
> <STADLEN@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > In a message dated 02/05/2008 11:15:29 GMT Standard
> Time,
> > barriekarp@GMAIL.COM writes:
> >
> > "Across the narrow yard where the rain tinkled in
> the dark against some
> > battered ash cans, windows were blandly alight and in
> one of the a
> > black-trousered man with his bare elbows raised could
> be seen lying supine
> > on an untidy bed."
> >
> > I have wondered about this, too. Could he have his
> hands clasped below
> > his resting head? But then why not say so?
> >
> > Anthony Stadlen
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm