VLVL2 and NPPF: Cultural Elitism

[Paul Mackin]

Isn't some further introduction to this thread needed? What is cultural
elititism and who are the cultural elite? I associate the term with Dan
Quayle. The cultural elite are the small minority who don't bowl, don't
believe in God, live inside the Beltway, in Manhattan, Hollywood or
Berkeley. But what and who exactly are WE talking about here?

P.


On Sun, 2003-07-20 at 01:41, Tim Strzechowski wrote:
> >> To what degree does "Pale Fire" (i.e. the Shade poem) comment on "cultural elitism"?  How 
> >> does it compare to the commentary Pynchon makes in Vineland?
> 
> >> Does Nabokov use the character of Charles Kinbote as a means of exploring and commenting 
> >> on "elitism" in academia?
> 
> 
> Nabokov's Pale Fire presents both sides of the "cultural elitism" question by giving readers a narrator who obviously fancies himself a member of that elite, while conveying social commentary that renders members of the elite as extraordinarily "human" (read: "common").  The faculty lounge scene in the "Foreward" depicts a fairly routine conversation, and the suggestions that Shade might be enjoying the presence of the "striking blonde in the black leotards" contrasts sharply with the expected discussions of higher-education that one might expect to permeate the discussion.  Likewise, the laughter that ensues from the discussion of Kinbote's two ping-pong tables serves to underlie the baseness of the characters, and to ensure the reader that these men of the ivory tower are just as human, and in many ways as cruel, as the rest of us.
> 
> In Vineland, the repetition of TV sitcoms and pop culture references serves a converse purpose: while readers of Vineland may find the references mildly amusing and nostalgic, Pynchon is nevertheless establishing a system of metaphor (e.g. the "game show" motif) that will reflect the moral complexities and ambiguities of many of the novel's characters.  In essence, what seems to the casual reader a passing reference to some element of pop culture becomes, later in the novel, an ever-growing network of symbol and metaphor (cf. Paul N's and Michael J's thread discussing mythology) that will vibrate throughout the work.
> 
> Is there such a thing as "cultural elitism" in Vineland?  Where? How?
> 
> How does Nabokov address the notion of "cultural elitism" in the "Foreward" to Pale Fire?
> 
> "Game shows" signify choices, evaluations, often times manipulation/understanding of uses of language.  How is this significant to the novel(s)?
> 
> Is there a parallel image in Pale Fire to equate with choice, language manipulation, or moral ambiguity?
> 
> 
> 
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