On Nabokov’s Ethnocultural Emblems

This article is concerned with Nabokov’s use of nation names and their multilevel poetic functions. Nabokov did not miss an opportunity to underline his cosmopolitan, ‘overnational’ views; consequently, it is of particular importance when his heroes are defined by their nationality, and often not only by one, but by several at a time. The article offers observations on three groups of Hungarian allusions in Nabokov’s oeuvre which can be positioned on three poetic levels. The first relies on almost stereotypical Hungarian cultural realities. On the second level, Nabokov generously adds his own metaphorical connotations to some details and, finally, he invents his own patterns. The three groups yield not only semantic but also methodological and even theoretical insights. Besides framing a new perspective on Nabokov’s laboratory of general cultural semiotics of nationality and émigré consciousness, his secondary allusions reveal a possible way of pursuing further studies of allusions to other smaller or ‘exotic’ nations, for example, the Dutch or the Basque. Future research can also be extended to the shaping of a comprehensive approach to nationality studies, reflected in the narrative devices of fiction.