Judgement Day Pale Fire Journal Judgement Day Pale Fire Journal | Page 71

did not make it into the final piece, if he truly felt that the poem had suf-
fered because of it he would not say that it had magic. We can also exam-
ine how the Shades viewed Kinbote. In his poem, Shade refers to Kinbote
as “some neighbor”, if Shade truly felt that Kinbote was a stalker the lan-
guage he used would reflect that of a much harsher caliber (1962, p. 69).
Shade does not seem to instinctually shy away from Kinbote. Though Mrs.
Shade does show some initial hesitations in their interactions, further
measures could have been easily taken if they truly felt that Kinbote was a
threat. However, no such action was taken. John Shade continued to live
work and sometimes socialize in the same proximity as Charles Kinbote.
The prosecution feels that the defense is not presenting the whole story
and urges the jury to consider all the possibilities. Also, Charles Kinbote is
as crazy as bowl of fruit loops (see note vi).
[1]
Though it is not fully relevant to the case, the jury is urged to al-
so consider John Shade’s death. Some will insist that it was heart attack,
others will insist that it was in fact a savage killing. Putting aside the killer,
motive, and the weapon for a moment the jury is asked to take into ac-
count the following evidence in regard to the event.
When examining the event as a vicious murder the following evi-
dence comes to light. The first references the whereabouts of Charles Kin-
bote soon after the time of death. He says the cards had been “transferred
by me to a safe spot even before his body had reached the grave” (1962,
p. 16). Once again, putting aside who the murderer is, one is surprised at
the small amount of time spent grieving. If Kinbote was the fan that he
wants the jury to consider him, it would be expected that he would grieve
for a longer period. The jury could also speculate that the speed in which
he hid the cards suggests that he was ready for it to happen, as if he
knew it was going to happen.
Rambling through the poem Charles Kinbote said “we shall ac-
company Gradus in constant thought” (1962, p. 78). This is a suspicious
statement considering the things the jury has learned about Gradus. Evi-
dence suggests that there is reasonable cause to suspect Gradus as the
killer. In doing such, Kinbote willingly admits knowing more about the mur-
der than he originally claimed. If the jury does consider Kinbote as a sus-
pect they will find a motive. Kinbote establishes himself early on as a fan
and when he discovers his suggestions for the poem were not carried
through to the final he seems a bit distressed. “We may conclude that the
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