Naturalizing Nabokov: Alienness And Citizenship In Academic Fictions
Rayne Xue (she/her) (2027) | Comparative Literature and Legal Studies, Russian Literature.
Rayne Xue is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient, a member of the Class of 2027 majoring in Comparative Literature and Legal Studies with a minor in Russian Literature. For her SURF project this summer, she is exploring the relationship between literature and immigration law through the novels of Vladimir Nabokov. By examining how Nabokov’s fiction portrays foreign academics and ideas of citizenship, naturalization, and belonging, Rayne investigates how literary narratives shape our understanding of immigration and how legal and literary studies can inform one another.
What made you choose this research project? How did your interest in your research topic emerge?
I came into Berkeley as a Comparative Literature major and always knew that I wanted to pursue an honors thesis in literature, and developing my thesis idea was also the goal that drew me to SURF. I first read Nabokov through English 166 my freshman year, which, surprisingly, led me to take more Russian literature classes. Then, I also explored the Legal Studies department extensively and worked in the student government on international and immigrant student-related advocacy. With all these backgrounds combined, I had a slightly narrower goal of doing research at the intersection of immigration law and literature. In my junior year, I took an English 190 Seminar on Law and Literature and read Stephanie DeGooyer’s book Before Borders. Her methodology of comparing narratives in Victorian literature to 18th-century European immigration policies intrigued me, and I decided to apply a similar method to review novels I was more familiar with. Nabokov was the first title that came to mind because, to some degree, his experience of first coming to the United States first as a member of universities resembles the international student experience. By studying Nabokov, I hope to bring together the three most important pieces of my undergraduate experience: Comparative Literature, Legal Studies, and international student advocacy.
What is your project about (in simple terms)? How does it relate to issues or ideas you have been studying in your coursework?
Naturalization has once again occupied a salient position in contemporary legal discourse about immigration. However, beyond the courtroom, novelists likewise play an important role in shaping our imagination of naturalization through narratives. My research project explores the relationship between fiction and immigration by focusing on the novels of Vladimir Nabokov, a Russian émigré author who lived in the United States from 1940 to 1961. From Pnin to Lolita, many of Nabokov’s novels portray foreign academics in American universities. By examining those characters’ creation, I ask: What does it mean to be a part of the United States because of one’s membership in a university? In the literary imaginary, could the university be a space beyond borders? Parallel to immigration laws, how do narratives create naturalized subjects? Perhaps most importantly, how can legal and literary studies learn from each other on the subject of immigration and naturalization?
I couldn’t have come up with the idea for this research project without the previous coursework that I’ve taken and the extracurricular activities I have engaged in. My research project comes from not a single class or event, but my continuous explorations of campus opportunities throughout my undergraduate career. From taking English 166 Nabokov, Legal Studies 132AC Immigration and Citizenship, English 190 Law and Literature, to serving as an International ASUC Senator, I think I have been incrementally paving the way toward this research topic.
What are you most excited about this summer? Will your research entail travel, access to special collections, or experiments?
My research will mostly be based on close readings. However, I look forward to the Supreme Court decision on the Barbara case coming out this June to get updated on how the Court presently views citizenship and naturalization. Thanks to the freedom in independent research, I’m excited to gather information on naturalization and Nabokov from everywhere that I can find and see what ideas will come out of the collection!
What do you hope to learn from this experience? What would success look like for you? What challenges do you anticipate confronting?
I hope to improve my skills in identifying intertextual connections across literary and legal texts. I think the independence of this project is at once exciting and frightening––I feel that there are so many directions I can take in this research that narrowing all the titles down to a realistic reading list might be an overwhelming task. However, I am grateful to have the support from faculties to guide me through this process.
What do you hope comes out of this research? What impact do you hope your research will have?
In addition to completing my SURF presentation, I hope to gain a better idea of the honors thesis that I want to write for Comparative Literature from this summer. With that goal in mind, I think developing a clear outline or direction as I work this summer will be a success in itself. Ultimately, I hope my research contributes to our understanding of naturalization as a cultural and creative experience.