Nabokov-Analysis "That in Aleppo Once"

Major Essay #3 Analysis of Fiction

Societal tradition and stereotyping suggests that in marriage the man will enjoy more power in the relationship than the woman; moreover, that the man will be in control of the relationship and his wife. That in Aleppo Once, by Vladimir Nabokov, within its theme of loss and love, explores this concept. In a letter written during the opening days of WWII, Nabokov uses the character of the narrator to present his ideas of control and power in relationships. Through the narrator’s writings Nabokov shows that from the point of view of a man, control is not necessarily a reality in marriage, especially a broken marriage.

Nabokov develops his story of loss by introducing denial as a way to ease the pain of a lost relationship. At the beginning of his letter the narrator says, " Although I can produce documentary proofs of matrimony, I am positive now that my wife never existed. You may know her name from some other source, but that does not matter;...