A Guide to Berlin

How does Vladimir Nabokov use imagery in A Guide to Berlin?

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Because of the short length and everyday subject matter of "A Guide to Berlin," the story's sharp and vivid imagery plays a central role in achieving its effects. At least one scholar has noted that the story's vignettes and images seem to be constructed cinematically, that is, like the visually arresting images of a movie. For example, Nabokov repeatedly uses color to create memorable imagery: the tavern's "sky-blue" Lowenbrau sign with its white lettering; the "bright-orange heat lightning" of the passing tram's lights reflected in the snow; the "chrome yellow" and "pink" beef carcasses hauled into the butcher's bloody "red shop"; and the "crimson" starfish that reminds the narrator of the Soviet Union's national emblem.

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A Guide to Berlin