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• 1 2020-10-29T12:10:24-04:00 Nabokov and Nature: Imagery in "Cloud, Castle, Lake" as compared to Invitation to a Beheading 54 gallery 2020-12-10T13:59:30-05:00 Rachel Sinex

  Vladimir Nabokov’s writings, whether novels or short stories, are much like games where Nabokov is the game-master. As an author, he plays with the reader, leading them through carefully crafted illusions. Possibly the best explanation for the effect of his deception is given by Nabokov through the character Cincinnatus in his novel Invitation to a Beheading when Cincinnatus refers to certain sounds and claims that “they are also a deception but right now I believe in them so much that I infect them with truth” (Invitation 138). While deception runs rampant in Nabokov's writing (and is often the focus of analysis), consistency lies within the descriptions of scenery. This consistency presents itself through the constant references back to the natural world, both in memory and in present reality, and they help ground the reader in some sense of physical reality. For example, both Nabokov's famous novel Invitation to a Beheading and his short story "Cloud, Castle, Lake" differ in their plot, but they have in common a fundamental focus on imagery related to the natural landscape. Through imagery and nature themes, Nabokov highlights the dichotomy between nature's beauty and humanity’s brutishness. 
  
  Nature plays an important role in Nabokov's Invitation to a Beheading  as something Cincinnatus longs for as a representation of his past life. While Invitation to a Beheading's entire plot relies on manipulation of reality — as this is related to the crime of which the main character is accused — it is also unified through consistent references to the past and present natural setting. Cincinnatus is accused of gnostical turpitude, a made-up crime which combines the idea of "gnosticism," referring to knowledge of the esoteric, and "turpitude," meaning depravity or wickedness. Gnostical turpitude in this context refers to the Cincinnatus' ability to manipulate reality, as he is often referred to in the novel as being able to turn invisible as well as the reference made to multiple Cincinnatus' existing in different realities. The entirety of this novel, much like the crime of gnostical turpitude, challenges reality and immerses the reader into a unique, gloomy world. The one sense of familiarity lies in descriptions of nature and natural-themed literary descriptions. One of the more positive aspects of the novel occurs within the first few pages when Cincinnatus and his jailer, Rodion, engage in dance. Here, Cincinnatus is described as “light as a leaf” and the narrator makes special notice of the “wind” which “made the tips of [Cincinnatus’] long but thin mustache flutter” (Invitation 13). The introduction of nature presents itself as a freeing force and as something that becomes a connection to the outside world beyond the fortress. Not only is Cincinnatus a prisoner, but he is a prisoner in an odd world with even odder rules. While in this example, he does not physically experience the sensations of being outdoors, the freedom instilled by dancing makes him feel unrestrained, much like a leaf and the wind that passes through his facial hair. In the context of the rest of the novel, this moment is perhaps the most joyful; therefore, nature and natural imagery connects Cincinnatus to a life outside and represents freedom from life's restraints. On a basic level, positive mentions of nature and its independent quality act to highlight Cincinnatus' longing for the natural world and the freedom it holds. 
  
  Nabokov's employment of frequent references to nature highlights the beauty of the natural world, especially how it relates to freedom of the mind and body, but it also serves as a foil to human judgement as illustrated by Cincinnatus' imprisonment. The dichotomy between nature and humanity is especially clear when considering Cincinnatus' circumstances prior to prison as compared to his current state. Nature is referenced frequently concerning Cincinnatus' past, especially with regards to his relationship with his wife, Marthe. The story of Marthe and Cincinnatus is central to Cincinnatus’ character development, and it is no mistake that the two would often spend time together in the Tamara Gardens. These gardens, described as a “green turfy tamarack park” are mentioned frequently as Cincinnatus reflects on his past. In this way, they act as a literary tool to both set up the plot and Cincinnatus’ backstory, but also to represent something unrestrained where “whenever life seemed unbearable, one could roam, with a meal of chewed lilac bloom in one’s mouth and firefly tears in one’s eye” (Invitation 19). While Cincinnatus is imprisoned for his individuality and his differences from others in society, the outside natural world is accepting and unrestrained. 
  
  Similar to Invitation to a Beheading, nature imagery plays a large role in Nabokov’s "Cloud, Castle, Lake" as a way of displaying the drastic differences between nature and society. "Cloud, Castle, Lake" similarly immerses the reader into reality unlike their own — in this case a world in which Vasily Ivanovich wins a pleasure trip accompanied by strangers; however, it also remains consistent in the frequent references to the natural world. The story follows not only Vasily's internal thoughts, but also his developing relationship with the other passengers aboard his train. During Vasily Ivanovich’s pleasure trip, he is introduced to various other travelers, who are often described in negative, unappealing terms, such as the leader of the group, who is described as “a lanky blond young man in Tyrolese garb” who was “burned the color of a cockscomb, had huge brick-red knees with golden hairs, and his nose looked lacquered” ("Cloud" 431). Contrastingly, as Vasily looks out the window of the train car to “enjoy the fleeting gifts of the road,” the narrator paints a beautiful picture of nature abundant with pleasing imagery: “The sun crept toward a corner of the window and suddenly spilled over the yellow bench. The badly pressed shadow of the car sped madly along the grassy bank, where flowers blended into colored streaks… Trees appeared in groups and singly, revolving cooly and blandly, displaying the latest fashions. The blue dampness of a ravine. A memory of love, disguised as a meadow. Wispy clouds-greyhounds of heaven” ("Cloud" 433). The contrast between the descriptions of human characters and the imagery of nature mirrors the tone in which Vasily judges both groups. While Vasily is mistreated by his travel mates, as he is “forced to eat a cigarette butt” and is beaten at the conclusion of the story ("Cloud" 434), he sees nature in a positive and artistic light. Vasily decides upon the conclusion of the trip that he wants to stay at the final destination where through the window “one could clearly see the lake with its cloud and its castle, in a motionless and perfect correlation of happiness;” however, his travel companions interpret this as insanity and as a response beat Vasily (Cloud 435). The way in which both characters and nature are depicted in this short story suggests a key difference between the natural world as compared to humanity. As seen through Vasily's eyes, nature is beautiful and magical, whereas humanity is cruel and attempts to stamp out any form of deviation from the considered norm. 
  
  While Invitation to a Beheading and "Cloud, Castle, Lake" certainly have differences in plot, message, and style, the constancy in natural imagery is a deliberate tool for highlighting the mistrust of individualism in Russian and German society in the early 20th century. Cincinnatus and Vasily both occupy unique roles in society in that they are both different from the norm in each of their respective realities. While Cincinnatus is imprisoned for gnostical turpitude and being able to do things others in his society are not able to, Vasily is mistreated for his impulse and differences from his travel mates. Cincinnatus’ relationship to nature is one of longing, in that his experiences with it are something of the past before imprisonment. Similarly, Vasily strives for the happiness that nature holds, which becomes clear in his final decision to want to stay at the final destination with the titular clouds, castle, and lake related to the title of the short story. In this way, nature for both heroes acts as a freedom from the restraints of society. Contrastingly, the other characters and aspects of human society in both Invitation to a Beheading and "Cloud, Castle, Lake" are described with much less eloquence and take a more dull, negative tone. The disagreement between nature and human society lives in Nabokov’s masterful imagery and seeks to highlight the negative aspects of society as compared to the freeing natural world. 
  
  Bibliography 
  
  Nabokov, Vladimir. Invitation to a Beheading, Vintage International, 1989
  
  Nabokov, Vladimir. "Cloud, Castle, Lake." In The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov, Penguin, 2006, 430-437.