Jerry Friedman writes: Especially
after reading Matt Roth's comments, I'd like to ask Anthony Stadlen and
anyone else who might know: Was I right in suspecting that Kinbote's
mentions of Botkin are "psychologically strange"? Or are people with
such delusions known to refer to their original selves, not as overtly
the same person, but revealing that they still know of some connection?
JM:In my opinion, we run the
risk of deviating into another set of tracks when we plan to
investigate psychological facts and "realities" following Nabokov's
inventiveness and satirical turn of mind.
What could be the answer
for what's "psychologically strange" in Kinbote's reference to
Botkin, outside of the boundaries of Nabokov's novel? The Index entry
that introduces Botkin and the text from CK's note n.247 ( am I
mistaken to assume that Botkin has only made another appearance -
extra-textually?) is necessary to the novelist himself. It serves him
to add a fundamental information, but it leaves a mark that is similar
to a navel, no longer functional but revelatory and non-deletable.