The Double Monster of Mnemosyne: The Relationship Between Trauma and Nostalgia in the Works of Vladimir Nabokov

The affective experiences of trauma and nostalgia initially appear as disparate and opposed – traumatic memories are those from which we run; nostalgic memories are those to which we cling. Upon interrogation, however, the distinction between these emotional categories becomes unstable, and they emerge as historically specific, yet fluid, terms, employed across different times and places to describe often overlapping experiences. In exploring depictions of trauma and nostalgia within the work of Vladimir Nabokov, this thesis seeks to disentangle and elucidate this interwoven, symbiotic relationship, and to reveal the ways in which Nabokov’s art refines and reshapes our understanding of it.

This thesis proposes an innovative theoretical framework of trauma-nostalgia, developed in response to readings of a diverse range of Nabokov’s fiction, poetry and autobiographical work. Through establishing a critical framework which brings the relationship between trauma and nostalgia into focus, this thesis suggests new possibilities for interpreting Nabokov’s thematic engagements with temporality, cruelty and materiality, and, in doing so, presents a number of new critical terms. I argue that the a-chronolinear, transcendent temporalities which appear throughout Nabokov’s work emerge as a consequence of his ‘writing together’ of trauma and nostalgia, resulting in a distinct temporality which I refer to as ‘Timelessness.’ Nabokov’s literary explorations of cruelty, too, illustrate the nuanced traumatic-nostalgic relationship, revealing the ways in which trauma may be inflicted and activated, both as a result of ‘cruel nostalgia,’ and as a consequence of the failure to remember. Similarly, Nabokov’s depictions of ‘enchanted objects’ see material bodies emerge as sites within which nostalgic and traumatic experience is manifested and mediated. Through establishing and delineating the significance of trauma-nostalgia within Nabokov’s art, this thesis covers fresh theoretical ground, offering an original critical intervention, illuminating the traditionally neglected role of trauma within his work, and revealing the interpretative potentials of an object-oriented approach.