Short Story Symbols And Signs By David Nobokov

Summary:
The story “Symbols and Signs” was artistically written by; Vladimir Nobokov. It is a sad and intricate story, with lots of nooks and crannies to explore. “Everything’s a cipher and of everything he is the theme”. The short story is about a single day in the life of an emigrated Russian elderly couple, wanting to visit their son on his birthday. They now live somewhere in the United States, but their son resides in a mental institution, he has been there for approximately four years. The couple plan to visit their mentally ill son who suffers from referential mania as well as, self-grandiose delusions, and paranoia. The Husband and Wife, take extra precautions while carefully choosing his birthday gift. They don’t want to frighten him, …show more content…
Their entire life has been a mastery of misfortune, time and time again. Deeper question arise, why did they leave there home country? It says he “had been a fairly successful businessman” but is now “wholly dependent on his brother Isaac” “the prince” as they referred to him. This could possibly be due to some embarrassing personal economic downfall. They Leave Russia, and move to Germany for a period of time. This was during the rise of Hitler possibly to avoid their son and or husband being drafted into war. They flee Germany, settling in the United States. (Some of this is speculation based on some research of the time, when this story took place, the parent’s background, and age, as well as the background on the author.) Also the evidence pointing to the mother’s numbness. As she is reflecting on the past, about the very frightening picture her son once saw. He was terrified of this painting. The painting is called The Triumph of death” (see citation) she recalls it as “merely” showing an “Idyllic landscape” the cartwheel in this picture is an instrument of torture. Possibly, this memory is symbolizing how numb they’ve become, due to all the hardship they have had to endure. Their son is the focal point of conflict in the story. The wife dresses like a grieving widow, and the father is an old decrepit man. The couple are well worn and past their prime, and they are both still stuck in their old world ways. She is a traditional modest old lady. The husband doesn’t speak English very well if at all, and he still reads the Russian newspaper as oppose to the English/American paper. The couple hasn’t truly immigrated into society. The Wife is constantly referencing their old world. “Whom did that person resemble?” some women from Russia. They tend to keep to themselves, almost