Shade and Kinbote: Two Balancing Twos

Abstract

: This essay analyzes Vladimir Nabokov’s Pale Fire through one common strand unifying the narrative of John Shade the poet and Charles Kinbote the commentator: the number two. Tracking how Kinbote evolves from an unskilled balancer of the number two to a successful one – just like the poet – this essay aims to provide backing to the literary theory that the commentator takes over the identity of Shade upon the poet’s death.