| Vladimir Nabokov(1899-1977),is generally considered as a brilliant novelist and stylist in the 20th century.His masterpiece,Lolita,has provoked enormous controversy upon first publication in 1955,as well as gained him tremendous prestige.Recent years have witnessed a bracing expansion in Nabokov studies,however,the majority of Nabokov studies still concentrate on postmodernism and intercultural field.Considering the dominate trend failed to bring diaspora theory into full play within Nabokov’s oeuvres.This thesis adopts the vintage point of diaspora theory to conduct an in-depth analysis on Nabokov’s construction of diasporic identity.As a diaspora,Nabokov departs from his country,experiencing severe identity crisis because of alienation from both homeland and hostland.The identity crisis is mainly manifested in cultural disorientation,home estrangement,and love alienation in Nabokov’s life and writings.The essence of this identity crisis is "the uncanny",or "recurrence of the repressed",because the three aspects of identity crisis often recur in his writings.It is also a fear for "unhomely" or loss of safety and belonging.To release the repressed out of "the uncanny" and satisfy his longing for home and resume the sense of "homey",Nabokov adopts the compensative mechanism of nostalgia by creating an"Arcadia in memory",(Michael Long,1987:4)a spiritual world of idealized culture,home and childhood,and first love.In this imaginary world,home is not carriers of time and space any more,but the spiritual habitat of Nabokov;in this idealized world,the seeds that he carries from Russia:traditional culture,home and childhood,and first love vivify from the harsh winter of displacement and send up shoots until grow into a giant tree in the new culture;in this world,Deleuze explained,civilization,culture and art from the humanist culture appear.In this way,Nabokov resolves the identity crisis and constructs his diasporic identity. |
