‘The loathsome tint of social intent’: Ideology and aesthetics in the work of Vladimir Nabokov, 1926-1939

Dematagoda, Udith Haritha (2015) ‘The loathsome tint of social intent’: Ideology and aesthetics in the work of Vladimir Nabokov, 1926-1939. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis is dedicated to the proposition that ideology is a spectrum through which the work of Vladimir Nabokov has not previously been considered. It is the first unambiguous attempt at a reading which foregrounds questions of politics and ideology, and one which does not conform to the intentional narrative of the author’s self-designated political provenance. In this sense, it represents an original contribution to the field. The work of Louis Althusser, in addition to other critics under the aegis of Marxist criticism such as Pierre Macherey and Fredric Jameson, are used to interrogate issues of ideology in Nabokov’s early career; a period between 1926-1939 which coincides with the publication of his first Russian novel to the completion of his first in English.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Due to copyright restrictions the full text of this thesis cannot be made available online. Access to the printed version is available.
• Keywords: Vladimir Nabokov, ideology, Louis Althusser, politics, aesthetics.
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > PG Slavic, Baltic, Albanian languages and literature; P Language and Literature > PR English literature
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > English Literature
• Supervisor's Name: Davies, Professor Laurence and Coyle, Dr. John
• Date of Award: 2015
• Depositing User: Dr Udith Dematagoda
• Unique ID: glathesis:2015-7137
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 01 Mar 2016 09:00
• Last Modified: 19 Apr 2016 07:43
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/7137