"Invitation to a Beheading"

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the novel "Invitation to a Beheading" written by Vladimir Nabokov. It compares the biblical allusions of the novel to numerous verses found in the New Testament. The paper describes various scenes in the book and remarks on the number of allusions to the Bible that are quite evident. It cites the scenes and quotes from the Bible that support this reading of the novel.

From the Paper:

"Cincinnatus completely loses his head, but dies without even knowing it. The reader senses that Cincinnatus has gone on to bigger and better things especially after reading the last line, "Cincinnatus made his way in that direction where, to judge by the voices, stood beings akin to him.""
"This is a remarkable method of culminating a story and one that comes directly from the New Testament. In Mark 15:39 is stated; "And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.""
"One can almost imagine M'sieur Pierre standing over the body of Cincinnatus and in much the same manner stating; "truly this man was a man among men." Whether Vladimir Nabakov meant it to sound, or read, in that manner, is left entirely up to the reader's discretion, but the evidence is overwhelmingly in support of such a conjecture."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Nabakov, Vladimir, Invitation to a Beheading,
• New Testament, King James Version

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