Misfortune

Misfortune is the most dominant theme in this story. It is explored through various symbols, such as the main characters and the public transport, and it is explored through the plot development. Moreover, it is used to enhance the quality of the plot.

Nabokov's use of plot developments to explore the theme of misfortune commences in paragraph 3. "That Friday, their son's birthday, everything went wrong. The subway train lost its life current between two stations". This event occurs before the married couple manage to meet their son. In addition, the bus they are forced to take is "crammed with garrulous high school students" (par. 3), and when they leave the bus, it starts raining. From this point, the misfortune seeps throughout the remainder of the plot. Instead of being able to meet their son, they meet a nurse they "did not care for" (par. 3). Later in the...