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Fwd: Lavoisier and Honor Codes...
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----- Forwarded message from jansy@aetern.us -----
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 22:49:51 -0300
From: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello <jansy@aetern.us>
Reply-To: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello <jansy@aetern.us>
Subject: Lavoisier and Honor Codes...
Today I was reading a short note about the life of Lavoisier and discovered that
Marat was his sworn enemy and probably he was indirectly responsible for his
death at the guillotine.
Nabokov wrote about the French Revolution, the guillotine, Marat´s murder by
Cora Day and I don´t remember his ever mentioning Lavoisier.
This scientist showed that the ancient belief in the four elements ( water, air,
earth and fire ) was unfounded, adding at least sixteen elements to the original
four, then discredited as such. Lavoisier also opposed Marat´s attempt at
writing scientific papers on the subject of fire, and he rejected the former´s
theories about combustion and his re-introduction of the concept of the
"phlogiston".
Nabokov made an issue about these four elements in various different moments in
ADA:
1. Air: Demon died in an airplane accident;
2. Fire: Marina was cremated;
3. Water: the drowning of Lucette ( no reference to Aqua, though ) .
For the fourth element VN added: "Earth awaits..."
Could anyone clarify the importance that these "four elements" have for Nabokov
in relation to the special role that fire plays in almost all his novels? Is
Lavoisier ever mentioned in Ada?
I have another question to add.
Lucette was often described as "red haired" like her father, whereas Demon´s
children had "raven black hair".
I was reminded again of VN´s chess-board and began to wonder about the
opposition reds and blacks.
The "honor code" that demanded of Van that he should never try to make love to
Lucette has always perplexed me, since in almost all other matters concerning
sex and love Van didn´t show any special kind of moral restriction. Could a
special rule of chess for Reds & Blacks serve as an equivalent for this
forbidding "honor code" ?
Jansy
----- End forwarded message -----