“Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov: Analysis

“Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov first appeared in The New Yorker in 1948 and was later included in his collection Nabokov’s Dozen. The story’s unique structure and exploration of complex human relationships and mental illness propelled it to swift popularity. Through vivid imagery and symbolism, Nabokov crafts a tale that blurs the lines between reality and imagination, prompting readers to question their own perceptions. “Signs and Symbols” endures as a classic of modernist literature.

Main Events in “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov

Part I

• The Birthday Dilemma: An elderly couple struggles to find a suitable birthday gift for their mentally ill son, who lives in a sanitarium.
• The Failed Visit: A mishap-filled journey prevents them from seeing their son. They learn he has again attempted to harm himself.
• A Shared Moment of Grief: On the way home, the couple witnesses a helpless bird, mirroring their own despair, and a weeping girl triggers a memory for the wife.
• Understanding the Son’s Illness: The narrator explains “referential mania,” describing the son’s belief that everything is a coded message meant for him.

Part II

• Returning Home: The couple arrives at their apartment, the husband fixated on a news story while the wife reflects on the past.
• Snapshots of a Life: The wife examines old photos, tracing her son’s progression from a troubled child through the onset of his debilitating mental illness.
• Constant Pain and Acceptance: She contemplates the endless suffering they endure, recognizing that tenderness and hope are often lost in the world.

Part III

• The Husband’s Distress: The husband awakens in agony, declaring he is dying and insisting they must rescue their son from the sanitarium.
• Plans for Change: He conceives a plan to bring their son home and care for him themselves, motivated by fear of their responsibility if he remains institutionalized.
• The Wrong Numbers: The phone rings repeatedly. A young voice persistently asks for “Charlie,” though the couple explains it’s the incorrect number.

Literary Devices in “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov

1. Allusion: Possible allusions to biblical concepts (e.g., the quest to escape the son’s flawed world might evoke the Garden of Eden).
2. Foreshadowing: Early descriptions of the couple’s struggles and the son’s troubled mind hint at the tragic events to come. Example: “The place was so miserably understaffed…”
3. Imagery: Nabokov uses vivid, often disturbing imagery to depict the son’s delusions. Example: “…clouds in the staring sky transmit to one another…incredibly detailed information regarding him.”
4. Irony: The couple’s well-intentioned gift of fruit jellies is useless to their son, who cannot find pleasure in ordinary objects. They are delayed from visiting him by mundane events (subway delays, rain), highlighting the extraordinary tragedy of his situation.
5. Juxtaposition: The couple’s quiet, ordinary lives are contrasted with the tormenting world their son inhabits.
6. Metaphor: The son’s mental illness is described as a kind of prison, one he desperately wishes to escape from.
7. Motif: The repeated instances of miscommunication (the wrong number, the son’s misinterpretation of the world) underscore the central theme of isolation.
8. Paradox: The son’s hypersensitivity to his surroundings creates a terrible paradox – the more intensely he observes the world, the more it becomes a source of torment.
9. Pathos: The story evokes deep pathos (pity and sorrow) for both the son’s suffering and the parents’ helplessness. Example: “During the long ride to the subway station, she and her husband did not exchange a word…”
10. Personification: Abstract concepts like phenomenal nature are personified, given agency in shadowing and tormenting the son.
11. Point of View: The shift from a limited third-person view to a deeper, almost omniscient exploration of the son’s psyche is powerful for understanding his torment.
12. Repetition: The recurrence of “referential mania” reinforces the diagnosis and the inescapable nature of the son’s illness.
13. Sensory Details: Nabokov uses sights, sounds, and even tactile sensations to immerse the reader in both the everyday world and the son’s distorted perception of it.
14. Symbolism: The fruit jellies symbolize the futility of ordinary pleasures in the face of profound suffering. The dying bird could represent the couple’s own fading hope.
15. Tone: The story’s tone is bleak and melancholic, punctuated by moments of tenderness and fleeting hope.

Characterization in “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov

Major Characters

• The Son:
  • Absent for most of the story, existing primarily through his parents’ memories and descriptions.
• Deeply troubled by “referential mania,” he is trapped in a self-constructed prison of delusions where everything is a threatening sign.
• Evokes immense pity despite his lack of direct presence, a victim of his own mind.
• The Mother:
  • Our primary viewpoint character, defined by her love and her grief.
  • Patient and enduring, she has spent years decoding her son’s illness even before its formal diagnosis.
  • Carries a deep well of sorrow, both for her son and the universal fragility of hope and tenderness.
  • Practical yet tender, she represents a love that persists even in the face of despair.
• The Father:
  • Less developed than the mother, but his anxieties and fears are palpable.
  • Struggles to communicate, both with his son and through his broken English.
  • Becomes fixated on action near the story’s end, motivated by fear of inaction and potential guilt.

Minor Characters

• The Sanitarium Nurse: Serves as a barrier, well-meaning but unsympathetic, underscoring the institutionalized nature of the son’s care.
• The Weeping Girl on the Bus: A brief but striking image reflecting the mother’s empathy and perhaps a reminder of lost normalcy for their son.
• The Phone Caller: Representing the randomness and intrusion of the outside world, this anonymous caller also highlights the parents’ isolation and the way their anxieties echo even in the mundane.

Major Themes in “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov

Major Themes	Explanation	References from the Story
The Isolation of Mental Illness	The son’s “referential mania” traps him in a private world, unable to connect meaningfully with others.	* “Phenomenal nature shadows him… discusses his inmost thoughts…” * Repeated instances of miscommunication (gift, phone calls). * The impersonal setting of the sanitarium.
The Fragility of Love and Hope	The parents endure constant suffering as their love and attempts to help their son are thwarted. The world seems indifferent to tenderness and beauty.	* The mother’s reflection on “endless waves of pain” and “the fate of this tenderness, which is either crushed, or wasted…” * The symbolic futility of the fruit jellies as a gift.
The Burden of Responsibility	The parents grapple with guilt and fear, driven to feel they are actively taking control of their son’s fate.	* The father’s outburst: “…we must get him out of there… otherwise we’ll be responsible!” * Hints of financial strain and reliance on the brother.
Reality vs. Perception	The son’s distorted perception, where everything is a threatening sign, clashes with the parents’ mundane reality. The story raises questions about the nature of reality itself.	* Contrasts between the son’s obsessive awareness and everyday events like subway troubles. * Subjective narration, primarily from the mother’s p

Writing Style in “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov

Stylistic Element	Explanation	Example from “Signs and Symbols”
Dense, Poetic Language	Complex sentences, vivid imagery, avoids simplistic phrasing	“Clouds in the staring sky transmit to one another, by means of slow signs, incredibly detailed information regarding him.”
Use of Metaphor and Symbolism	Everyday objects and events gain layered significance	The fruit jellies represent the futility of ordinary pleasures in the face of profound suffering.
Shifting Point of View	Moves from external observations into the son’s tormented mind, then focuses on the mother	Adds complexity, raises questions about the reliability of perception
Intrusion of the Absurd	Jarring details interrupt the flow	The scientific explanation of the son’s illness contrasts with the parents’ emotional pain.
Bleakness Undercut by Tenderness	Predominantly melancholic tone, yet punctuated by love and compassion	The parents’ quiet love persists despite their despair
Juxtaposition of the Ordinary and the Extraordinary	The son’s delusions clash with the mundane reality of his parents’ lives	Subway delays and lost umbrellas highlight the vast gulf between their worlds
Manipulating Reader Emotion	Uses pathos to evoke pity, but complexity prevents sentimentality	We feel the parents’ grief, but Nabokov’s style also forces critical distance

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov

Psychoanalytic Interpretation

• Focus:
• Examining the story for repressed desires, unconscious motivations, and the impact of childhood experiences on the characters.
• Application to “Signs and Symbols”:
  • The son’s mental illness could be interpreted as a manifestation of deep-seated traumas or unresolved conflicts.
  • The mother’s memories of her son’s development could be analyzed for clues about potential psychological triggers or early signs of his condition.
  • The parents’ fixation on bringing him home, despite its unlikelihood of success, could be seen as a subconscious need for control or an attempt to undo past failures.

Formalist / New Critical Interpretation

• Focus: Analyzing the story’s internal elements – language, structure, imagery, symbolism – to understand how they generate meaning.
• Application to “Signs and Symbols”:
  • Close reading of Nabokov’s dense, poetic language, and how it creates the story’s mood and reveals character psychology.
  • Examination of the story’s structure, the way shifts in point-of-view and juxtaposition of events contribute to the overall effect.
  • Analysis of recurring motifs (miscommunication, the dying bird) and their symbolic resonance.

Reader-Response Theory

• Focus: Examining how the reader’s personal experiences, biases, and emotions shape their interpretation of the text.
• Application to “Signs and Symbols”:
  • Nabokov’s style, leaving ambiguity and open questions, encourages active reader participation in making meaning.
  • A reader’s own experiences with loss, mental illness, or feelings of powerlessness would influence their emotional response to the story.
  • There is no single “correct” reading, as individual interpretations are valid based on the reader’s unique perspective.

Existentialist Interpretation

• Focus: Exploring themes of isolation, the absurdity of existence, and the individual’s search for meaning in a potentially indifferent world.
• Application to “Signs and Symbols”:
  • The son’s “referential mania” could be seen as an extreme metaphor for the human struggle to find meaning and purpose.
  • The story’s bleakness and unanswered questions resonate with the existentialist view of an uncertain and often cruel universe.
  • The parents’ endurance and love, despite despair, could be read as a defiant act of creating meaning within a meaningless world.

Questions and Thesis Statements about “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov

Question 1: How does Nabokov’s use of shifting perspectives create ambiguity and what impact does this have on the reader’s understanding of the characters?

• Thesis Statement: In “Signs and Symbols,” Nabokov’s use of shifting points of view highlights the subjective nature of reality, leaving the reader to question the reliability of any single character’s perception and deepening the story’s sense of ambiguity.

Question 2: To what extent is the parents’ love an enabling force in their son’s illness, and how does this complicate their role as caregivers?

• Thesis Statement: While their love is unwavering, the parents’ actions in “Signs and Symbols” could unintentionally reinforce their son’s delusions, revealing the complex and often contradictory nature of caregiving in the face of severe mental illness.

Question 3: Analyze the use of symbolism in the story. How do seemingly ordinary objects become imbued with deeper meaning, reflecting the central themes of the work?

• Thesis Statement: Nabokov transforms everyday objects like fruit jellies and a dying bird into potent symbols, mirroring the son’s distorted perception while also conveying the fragility of hope and the pervasiveness of suffering.

Question 4: Does the story ultimately offer any resolution or is it intentionally designed to leave the reader feeling unsettled?

• Thesis Statement: “Signs and Symbols” resists traditional narrative closure. Nabokov’s focus on ambiguity and the unresolved nature of the characters’ struggles suggests a deliberate attempt to evoke the discomfort and uncertainty that are inherent aspects of the human experience.

Short Question-Answer “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov

Question	Answer
What is the significance of the son’s mental illness, “referential mania?”	It represents the extreme isolation of someone who can only interpret the world as a coded message meant for him alone. This cuts him off from genuine connection and highlights the fragility of shared reality (“He excludes real people from the conspiracy…”).
How does the story use the motif of miscommunication?	Repeated misunderstandings – the wrong gift, the lost umbrella, the wrong phone number – underscore the characters’ disconnectedness. This reflects the son’s fundamental misreading of the world and the parents’ inability to truly reach him.
What is the symbolic role of the fruit jellies?	They represent the futility of ordinary pleasures and comforts in the face of immense suffering. Their intended innocence and sweetness become heartbreaking when contrasted with the son’s inability to find joy in anything.
Why does the story end with ambiguity?	The unanswered questions about the phone calls, the unresolved anxieties – these mirror the lack of clear solutions for the characters’ pain. Nabokov leaves the reader with a lingering sense of unease, reflecting the ongoing nature of grief and the uncertainty of life.

Literary Works Similar to “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov

1. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: Explores themes of profound isolation and the disconnect between internal reality and external perception. Kafka’s protagonist, Gregor Samsa, undergoes a nightmarish transformation, mirroring the son’s isolating mental state in “Signs and Symbols.”
2. Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov: Features unreliable narration, the blurring of reality and delusion, and metafictional elements. This complex novel shares Nabokov’s fascination with the subjective experience of reality explored in “Signs and Symbols.”
3. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Delves into a woman’s descent into madness fueled by confinement and patriarchal disregard. Similar to “Signs and Symbols,” it explores themes of isolation and how misdiagnosis or misunderstanding can worsen mental health struggles.
4. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: While less explicitly focused on mental illness, offers a bleak worldview and a protagonist struggling to find meaning. Holden Caulfield’s cynicism and alienation reflect a less severe, though still potent, version of the disconnect faced by the son in “Signs and Symbols.”
5. “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe: This classic short story features an unreliable narrator driven by obsession and a distorted view of reality. Poe’s intention is horror rather than Nabokov’s evocation of pathos, yet both works examine the ways a fractured mind can warp perception.

Suggested Readings: “Signs and Symbols” by Vladimir Nabokov

Scholarly Articles

• Boyd, Brian. “From Pushkin to Nabokov: ‘Signs and Symbols’, Doubles and Deception.” Nabokov Studies, vol. 8, 2004, pp. 77-96.
• Grishakova, Marina. The models of space, time and vision in V. Nabokov’s fiction: Narrative strategies and cultural frames. University of Tartu Press, 2012.
• Vladimir Nabokov Society Website: (https://www.vladimir-nabokov.org) Browse proceedings from the International Vladimir Nabokov Symposium for relevant criticism.