Identity Crisis in Vladimir Nabokov’s Pnin

Abstract

The novel, Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov, is about the identity crisis of the central character. He searches for his original culture in the adopted country but he cannot feel at home there. Pnin feels alienation, frustration, depression, loneliness and dislocation in the alien country after migrating to the USA. He has diasporic feeling because of the new culture, language and people in foreign country. He feels difficulties there because of diversity in culture and language. He teaches Russian literature in English language in Waindell College, an American College. The story begins with difficulties he faces in train while going to give lecture. While teaching he remembers his childhood and language so sometimes he uses his own native language there too. Vladimir Nabokov through the central character shows the bitter experience of emigrant people in alien country. This feeling of protagonist shows as the diasporic feeling. Thus, diasporic studies is the methodological tool for this thesis that questions the very notion of bitter feeling in alien country.