Signs and Symbols

None of the three central characters in the story receives a proper name (this guide refers to them as the mother, father, and son). What is the significance of their anonymity?

How would you characterize the relationship between the mother and father? Does their relationship change over the course of the story? Cite specific examples.

What significance do you place on the fruit jellies that the mother and father buy for the son? Do their flavors, the color of the jars, or anything else about them hint at a hidden significance to the story as a whole? Why or why not?

After examining the old photographs, the mother comes to a realization. What exactly does she conclude about her life, her family, and/or the world at large? What do you make of her thoughts about “neglected children humming to themselves” and “beautiful weeds that cannot hide from the farmer” (Paragraph 11)?

Self-obsession and psychological crisis are frequent themes in Nabokov’s work. After reading Lolita, compare Humbert to the son of “Signs and Symbols.” How does the presence, or lack thereof, of these characters contribute to the narrative and the other characters in their respective stories? Why make the choice to have the son of “Signs and Symbols” never interact with the other characters?

Several characters are discussed without appearing in the narrative, including the son and Isaac. How does Nabokov construct the figure of Aunt Rosa, and how does her role in the story affect the reader’s understanding of the mother and father?

To what degree are the central characters defined by their status as immigrants to America? Does their experience as immigrants affect them differently? What insight might the characters’ experience provide into the lives of immigrants more generally?

How do the son’s attempts to die by suicide relate to his upbringing and how do they connect with the mother’s epiphany after looking at the photographs? Support your analysis with examples from the text.