p. 76). Though the quote is stated in the third person the detail and nostalgia that is present in the tone of the writing suggests that it is more than the written utterances of someone else’ s thoughts. As a final consideration for the jury, the way that Charles Kinbote refers to himself also suggests royal standing. He says,“ taking my royal gift under my arm”( 1962, p. 159). This could be interpreted in a few different ways. One, the gift is royal because of its value. It is not clear what the gift is at the time so it is reasonable that the gift is royal simply because of what it is. Two, this could be seen as an idolization of John Shade. The prosecution may push this interpretation, however there is no other evidence that suggests that Charles Kinbote views John Shade as royal. There is another explanation that is equally as viable. The gift could be royal because of who is giving it. Perhaps, it was a relic from Zembla or something just as unique, or it could simply be a gift that was given to a friend by a member of a royal family.
The prosecution also accuses my client of having an unstable mental state. This may be valid. However, it is also reasonable to get swept away in the presence of an idol. Many fans of celebrities have been known to become suspect of the same such emotions. The difference is that not many fans live and work in such close proximity to their favorite celebrity. If this was the case, perhaps we would see more people acting out as Kinbote seems to. Behaving in this way may simply be Charles Kinbote trying to deal with having an immense infatuation with a person he considers to be extremely talented. For Kinbote, it is as if every day is the day you randomly see an idol on the street. Kinbote refers to Shade as“ my celebrated neighbor”( 1962, p, 23), this presents Shade as an idol, a celebrity of sorts to the rest of the world. As such, it is understandable that given the location of both Shade and Kinbote that, at times, it seems that my client may have gotten a bit carried away.
Giving Charles Kinbote the benefit of the doubt in these cases allows the jury to see into the life of a devoted fan. A fan that seems in many instances to only want the best for his friend, colleague, and idol. The way that Kinbote speaks of John Shade and, more specifically, his works presents Kinbote less as a stalker and more as an admirer of fine art.“ I experienced a grand sense of wonder whenever I looked at him,” these are the words from an admiring fan, they are not words from a raving lunatic( 1962, p. 27). Kinbote also talks of Shade’ s poem with a certain degree of wonder,“ Shade’ s poem is, indeed, that sudden flourish of magic”( 1962, p. 28). This example of how Kinbote responds to the work of John Shade does not suggest that he is holding a strong grudge over what is not included in the poem. Though Kinbote gave Shade many suggestions that
70