Date of Award
2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Humanities
First Advisor
Wyman, Alina
Keywords
Nabokov, Literature, Reading
Area of Concentration
Humanities
Abstract
This thesis explores the role of reading and writing in Vladimir Nabokov's novel Invitation to a Beheading. I argue that these two activities allow Cincinnatus C., the novel's protagonist, to temporarily escape his imprisoning world by granting him the opportunity to utilize his imagination, and function as a link between the worlds of author, reader, and protagonist. The first chapter highlights the interconnectedness of reading and writing in this novel through a close examination of the framed novel Quercus. The second chapter focuses exclusively on the role of reading in Invitation, addressing the question: what does it mean to be a reader in and of this novel? Reading is a necessarily active process for Cincinnatus and the readers of Invitation; it is the linking together of separate entities such as words, pictures, and chapters. While this activity offers Cincinnatus the hope of connecting to a separate realm, I argue that it is not a permanent escape from the fictional world he has been inserted in. The final chapter addresses how Cincinnatus's writing overcomes the shortcomings of his reading. I elucidate how writing allows this opaque protagonist to create something akin to himself and, ultimately, form a connection with his author, Nabokov.
Recommended Citation
Carbone, Lily, "READING AND WRITING IN NABOKOV'S INVITATION TO A BEHEADING" (2013). Theses & ETDs. 4744.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/4744
Rights
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