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Re: Freudian or Nabokovian?
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I had not thought Nabokov would deliberately apply Freudian "repression "
and "unconscious motivations" as essential elements for the unraveling of
any novelistic plot, independently of his fascination with neurological and
psychiatric disturbances and his almost too frequent references to them.
Dear Jansy,
My theory lead me to assume that the genesis of Pale Fire was VN's desire to
recreate for the modern reader the mystery and thrill that Jekyll and Hyde
had for its first readers. The success of the tale especially in theatrical
and filmed dramatizations has meant that the mystery can no longer be
experienced with the original, since Jekyll-and-Hyde has entered the
language.
By the way, medical interest in multiple personality disorders pre-dates
Freud. The names Charcot and Janet come to mind. I highly recommend Ian
Hacking's book, in part on the history of pre-Freudian psychology,
"Rewriting the Soul: Multiple Personality and the Sciences of Memory."
Carolyn
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