"Speak, Memory" covers the first forty years of Vladimir Nabokov life, but it's especially front-loaded to give readers the fullest sense of his life in Russia before and during a series of major political upheavals. We spend a lot of time with our young hero and his adventures, understanding what it was like to be little Vladimir in Mother Russia. Nabokov admits: his first memories are his strongest.
So although Vladimir might not understand what he's losing as he mounts adolescence and says goodbye to St. Petersburg, we certainly understand the riches of his childhood. For Vladimir, coming of age coincides with losing his home. But it isn't until later, when he is an émigré father watching his son toddle the streets of Berlin and Paris, that he begins to comprehend that fact.
Questions About Coming of Age (& Youth)
- What specific event seems to signal the end of Vladimir's childhood? Why is childhood so precious to Nabokov?
- How does Nabokov align his life's events with political events at the time?
- Does his awareness increase with age?
- What parallels can you draw between Vladimir's childhood and his son's?
Chew on This
Nabokov seems to be making a connection: Vladimir loses his home at the same time he loses his childhood.
In the book, Vladimir's sense of self is strong as a child, but as he develops, his identity becomes weaker—even before he leaves Russia.