Nabokov's Speak, Memory is a work that focuses as much on the process of remembering memories as it does on the memories that are remembered. Nabokov's patient and repetitive interrogation of his memories shows the confrontation of the narrative with the memory in an iterative and specular moment that strives for mimetic perfection. He challenges the limits of chronological time, describing time as his “magic carpet” (SM 139), the rhythm of which he can control by folding and unfolding it to superimpose distant images printed on it. One of the goals of Nabokov's story is to create a sense of timelessness, collapsing the past into the present. This development is representative of the splitting of the self, as Nabokov telescopes time, superimposing the perspective of his present self on the experience of his past self. The formal telescoping of time is signaled by the interactions of light and shadow in his narration, transposing form into content. In this essay, I will argue that the diachrony of light and shadow in Nabokov's description of the passage develops into a synchrony of the two selves. This can be seen by observing one of the final passages of chapter 8, where Nabokov describes a family reunion in a park. As the language of the passage shifts from evoking images of darkness, creating a space of darkness in which the two selves can be detached from each other, to images of light representing reconnection, we let's see Nabokov's past and present come together during the process of remembering this memory. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The passage begins with a characterization of Nabokov as an outsider in his own vision, which creates a sense of detachment between his past and present. He says: “Always approach this banquet table from outside” (SM 171). In this sentence he uses spatial distance as an analogy for the distancing of the present self from the past, which is effected by time. He approaches the family from “the depths of the woods” (SM 171) rather than from the house. This sentence gives the impression that Nabokov is emerging from the darkness, away from the others, towards the place where the gathering is taking place. Readers' attention is also drawn to the liminal space between the park and the house – the garden that separates the two is described as a “space of smooth sand” (SM 171). This evokes the image of the sands of time, that is to say the years which separate the author from the original gathering. This metaphor of separation is further illustrated by the allusion to the tale of the prodigal son, which adds resonance to the passage. Nabokov says, “to return there, [he] had to do so with the silent steps of a prodigal son” (SM 171). The allusion suggests that Nabokov's metaphorical return through revisiting his memories is not out of nostalgia, but in the hope of achieving some sort of absolution. Thus, we see that the darkness is representative of a phase of detachment, but Nabokov's return to his memories is an attempt to reconnect his two selves, thus demonstrating the splitting of the self. Once Nabokov begins the process of remembering, we see a transition from language evoking images of darkness to Nabokov's employment of linguistic chiaroscuro to describe the interactions of light and shadow; it serves as a transition between the darkness Nabokov found himself in and the light he is moving toward. He describes those present at the gathering as “sharing the animation of light and shadow” (SM 171). This can be paralleled with a sentence mentioned a few lines later where itsays: “In place of my current guardian, there is a changing image, a succession of fades in and out” (SM 171). The “changing image” and the alternations between light and shadow represent a composition of varied faces and shapes. A fade-in brings light back in, where a particular memory comes into focus, while a fade-in takes us back into shadow, where the boundaries of memories blur. This means a tension between fragmentation and synthesis and dispersion and recollection of thoughts. During the process of remembering, it seems that many different moments and series of afternoon meetings coalesce into a single, inclusive and enduring scene. This fluidity in Nabokov's thoughts and in the process of remembering is further emphasized when he says: "The pulsation of my thought mixes with that of the shadows of the leaves and transforms Ordo into Max and Max into Lenski... and the whole series of trembling transformations are repeated. » (SM 171). The movement of the leaves creates patterns of light and shadow on the leaves, representing the simultaneity of memory as one memory transforms into another, but quickly enough to allow it to create a single scene from many fragmented memories . Additionally, syntax also describes an interaction between the past and the present. The momentum of the syntax that propels the reader forward is countered by the use of participles present in the description, such as “mingles” and “trembling,” which keep the scene suspended. There is an interaction between the past and the present, since the past is described in the present. Thus, the simultaneity of memory serves to revive the past. In the last part of the passage, we see the end of the transition and the beginning of the "light" phase of the passage, which serves as a metaphor for the reconnection of the two selves. Towards the end of the passage, he brings the scene into sharper focus when he says: “the contours finally settle into their various functions” (SM 171). Thus, the lights and shadows that characterized the fluidity of Nabokov's thoughts as they traveled between the past and the present are no longer fluid, but have finally stabilized. This creates the feeling that Nabokov is no longer simply observing the scene he remembers, but is actually and actively becoming a participant in it, validated by the fact that he can hear: "Thirty human hearts drown mine with their steady beats" ( SM 171). If we look at the passage before we get to this sentence, we notice a sense of silence, as Nabokov relies entirely on optical techniques in his attempt to recreate memory. This is seen by the use of expressions such as "not silent", to describe the way he approaches the banquet table from the woods, and "mute lips", to describe the conversation that the guests at the banquet table have. However, after seeing the sentence mentioned above, there is an explosion of sound images, as Nabokov says, "a torrent of sounds comes to life" (SM 171). It seems that initially Nabokov is simply painting a picture and using optical techniques to allow readers to visualize the scene. However, by including sound, it now brings the image to life, adding an additional sensory dimension that better achieves the effect of a lived experience. This marks his transition from observer to participant and also serves to dissolve the gap between past and present, rivaling life itself; the resulting image, now enhanced by the impact of sound rather than simple visual techniques, transcends the changing kaleidoscope of time-bound memories; Nabokov sees them as “the consummation and resolution” of the temporal process, as something that has become “enduring in retrospect” (SM 170)..