How Does Nabokov Use Imagery In Speak Memory

Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory is a novel written with symbolism, imagery, and metaphoric language. He writes his novel in a detail orientated structure with each chapter separated into sections. This shows us that Nabokov is a detail orientated person and wants his reader to understand his thought process throughout the novel. An example of Nabokov using such imagery and symbolism is when he writes about his bedtime ritual.
Nabokov starts off by saying, “I next see my mother leading me bedward through the enormous hall, where a central flight of stairs swept up and up, with nothing but hothouse-like panes of glass between the upper landing and the light green evening sky” (p 83). Nabokov and his mother were really close due to the fact

that they both share the same illness. This is Nabokov reflecting on his childhood ritual. In this case, the ritual is his mother leading him to bed. Nabokov was a very difficult child to put to bed. He would wiggle around and make up games and resist all because he does not want to be separated from his mother:
upon reaching the stairway, my custom was to get to the steps by squirming under the handrail between the newel post and the first banister…another part of the ritual was to ascend with close eyes...this slow, somewhat somnambulistic ascension is self-endangered darkness held obvious delights…I was merely playing for time by extending every second to its utmost (Nabokov 83-84).

Furthermore, the stairs in this passage represents a gateway to heaven because once Nabokov gets to the top, all his worries will be gone and he wouldn’t have to deal with it until the next morning. Memory in this sense is a protagonist.