The Othering Biological Poetics: Evolution, Speciation and Lepidoptery in Nabokov's The Gift and "Father's Butterflies"

Abstract:Nabokov was a great writer and a professional biologist with an intense interest in evolutionary theory, and it seems sensible to conclude that his literary creations were heavily influenced by his scientific research. This paper examines how Nabokov's lepidopterological research sheds significant light on his artistic works, including the novel The Gift and its rejected addendum, "Father's Butterflies," and explores how these works embody Nabokov's views on nature, art, and natural selection. It also investigates how Nabokov adopts narrative strategies of parodies, allusions, symbols and narratives to reflect on the universal validity of Darwinism but also to insert his speculation on natural selection and theories of speciation in the narratives. Nabokov's writing evinces no serious quarrel with the basic principles of natural selection. Yet, his work reflects his skepticism of an approach to the world that solely relies on quantitative and statistical analysis.