Pnn by Vladimir Nabokov

Grace Wynkoop and Katie Elder

English Red Honors

Versions of the Cover

Slide 2: Quotes

Graces Quote
from chapter 1 section 3

Some peopleand I am one of

themhate happy ends. We feel
cheated. Harm is the norm. Doom
should not jam. The avalanche
stopping in its tracks a few feet
above the cowering village behaves
not only unnaturally but
unethically. (9)

Katies Quote
from chapter 1 section 2

I do not know if it has ever been

noted before that one of the main
characteristics of life is discreteness.
Unless a film of flesh envelops us,
we die. Man exists only insofar as he
is separated from his surroundings
(6).

Slide 3: Pnn Overview

Characters

Timofey Pavlovich Pnin: Absent-minded Russian protagonist. Teaches at Waindell College

and struggles with his English. Extremely unique idiosyncrasies that other characters find
comical
Laurence and Joan Clements: A Waindell scholar and his wife. Allow Pnin to stay with them
for a year and learn to appreciate his eccentricities.
Dr. Liza Wind: Pnins manipulative former wife. She tricks Pnin into buying her passage to
America and paying child support. Liza represents both the love of Pnins life and one of his
greatest burdens.
Victor Wind: Son of Liza and Eric. Talented artist and mature adolescent. He attends a
boarding school and develops an affection for Pnin upon visiting him in Waindell.
Vladimir Vladimirovich: Narrator of Pnn. Vladimir shares many parallels with Nabokov,
including his interest in lepidoptery. Also a Russian immigrant and claims to have met Pnin
multiple times throughout his life. He ultimately replaces Pnin at Waindell College.
Mira Belochkin: Pnins first love. Killed in a Nazi concentration camp. Even though Pnin and
Mira drift apart after their childhood together, Miras death represents a devastating turning
point in Pnins life.

Plot and Theme

The novel begins and ends with Pnin boarding the wrong train
Nabokov highlights the difficulties an immigrant experiences living in America
The plot progresses in an unpredictable manner with flashbacks and anecdotes placed
throughout the narrative
Reader gradually begins to understand Pnins many quirks as the narrator reveals his
background
Pnin often has flashbacks of growing up, falling in love, and escaping Bolshevik Russia
Themes: Language and communication, isolation, love, alienation, the concept of home
Genre: Fiction

Slide 4: Interpretive
Artifact

Pinterest Board

https://www.pinterest.com/gkwynkoop/pnin/

Slide 5: Author Background

and Historical Connections

Nabokov Background
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov
Born April 22, 1899 in St. Petersburg, Russia
Died July 2, 1977 in Montreux, Switzerland at age 78
Political Views: Liberal (just like his father)
Nabokov was born into an old aristocratic family, where his father was a leader of
the Pre-Revolutionary Liberal Constitutional Democratic Party
He attended Trinity College on a scholarship for sons of important Russian men who
were in exile

Historical Connections
WWI (1914-1918) - Nabokov was a teen
Wrote a poem as a teenager describing Lenins Bolsheviks as grey rag-tag people
His family was forced to flee to Berlin in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution
His father became the secretary of the Russian Provisional Government and was
accidently killed while blocking the target of a political assassination
In Berlin, he met his wife Vra Slonim and had his son, Dmitri
In 1940, his family fled from France to the United States as Nazi Germany swept
across Europe

Nabokov and Pnn

Nabokov considered himself a butterfly expert, similar to the storys narrator
(lepidopterist)
Succeeded in being the first Russian author who wrote in English and Russian
Novella was inspired by Nabokovs time as a professor, especially at Cornell University
It is rumored that Nabokov based the character Pnin off of Cornell Professor Marc
Szeftel
Nabokovs past students say that he had many awkward, Pnin-like moments during his
classes
A finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction seven times

Slide 6 & 7: Pnn

Reflections

Katies Reflection on Pnn

Slow-pace and superfluous detail at times
Humor provided relief from the mood of loneliness and isolation
Interesting characterization (I found Pnins idiosyncrasies extremely amusing)
The structure of the narrative was confusing in the beginning but ultimately
provided clarity as the story progressed
Sporadic flashbacks gave context and kept the story intriguing
Slightly disappointing, but optimistic ending

Graces Reflection on Pnn

Comedic, but you often felt bad for Pnin because he really had terrible things happen
to him but were rather funny in the manner in which they played out
Divided into 7 chapters, with each being its own storyline while simultaneously
contributing to the overall storyline (Helped to keep the reader's attention and keep
them interested in what was coming next)
Excessive characterization helped you to get to know the characters but was often
distracting
Overall, I enjoyed this novella a lot. While it was hard to read at times, it was a
great story line and had great humor and comedic characters

Slide 8: Pnn Rating

Pnn Rating
7.5/10 awkward moments
Pnins life is just one big culmination of awkward
moments, making that the best scale for the rating
While the language was expressive and the
characters were humorous, there were instances of
just awkwardness which left readers feeling
confused and uncomfortable.

Slide 9: Works Cited

Works Cited
Michael, Dirda. "Vladimir Nabokov's transformation in America." Washington Post,
The 5: Newspaper Source. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.
"The Secret History Of Vladimir Nabokov." Kirkus Reviews 81.6 (2013): 12.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.
Garca de la Puente, Ins1. "Bilingual Nabokov: Memories And Memoirs In SelfTranslation." Slavic & East European Journal 59.4 (2015): 585-608. Humanities
Source. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
SLN. "Smart Living NTWK - Empty Book." Smart Living Network. N.p., 2010.
Web. 12 Mar. 2016.

Works Cited Pt. 2

Saeverot, Herner. "Time, Individualisation, And Ethics: Relating Vladimir Nabokov
And Education." Educational Philosophy & Theory 46.1 (2014): 32-45. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
"Translating Nabokov; Academic Freedom, Islam And The Net; Censored
Writings." Chronicle Of Higher Education 47.35 (n.d.): B4. SocINDEX with Full
Text. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
Singer, Chris. "The Corvallis Advocate - Train." The Corvallis Advocate. C.A.,
2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.

Works Cited Pt. 3

CHS. "Craft Hubs - Empty Book Cover." Craft Hubs. Craft Websites, 2016. Web.
13 Mar. 2016.
LSDNY. "Centricity - Soccer Ball." Lancaster School District. BlackBaud, 2015.
Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
Live Auctioneers. "The Son of the Wolf." Liveauctioneers. LA -, n.d. Web. 20 Mar.
2016.
"Antique Outings - Croquet." Antique Outings. AntiqueOutingsRR, 2010. Web. 20
Mar. 2016.

Works Cited Pt. 4

UNtItLeD. "Tragedy And Comedy Masks." Tragedy And Comedy Masks. Fotogrph,
2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
LAT. "Dog Blog." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 2015. Web. 13 Mar.
2016.
"PngImg.com - Yellow Butterfly." PNG Photo Images Free Clipart Download.
PNGIMG, 2002. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.