Narrating through the dead

As we have been discussing in class, Nabokov has a deep interest in the dead and afterlife. These issues become more apparent in Transparent Things. Nabokov shows how are mortal conscience has trouble comprehending the signs that the world gives out to help guide him. Hugh Persons only escape from his reality lies in his memory of things past. The novel really brings out the aspect of time and how Hugh is fighting with it and how R and his companions are able to see the patterns that are apparent in the mortal world. With Hugh's narrow consciousness he is unable to comprehend how situations are going to play out. The story brings into light this rebirth or transcendence needed to view the world from this outside eye.

While looking through some essays online I found a quote from Vladimir Nabokov about the necessity of our consciousness to understand all the facets of life. The essay explained that it was a discarded note from the Pale Fire novel from an essay called Strong Opinions which read: “Time without consciousness—lower animal world; time with consciousness—man; consciousness without time—some still higher state.” R and his companions exist without the issue of time. Just writing that makes my mind wander about what that could even be like. The novel dives deep into these theoretical ideas about the effect time has on the mind and how transparent things must look from the outside.