Speak, Memory--Chapter 1

"Neither in environment nor in heredity can I find the exact instrument that fashioned me, the anonymous roller that pressed upon my life a certain intricate watermark whose unique design becomes visible when the lamp of art is made to shine through life's foolscap." --Vladimir Nabokov, page 25

In Chapter One of his autobiography, Nabokov tries to illustrate how strange and mysterious our lives can look through memories. He weaves together different images from memories to show how moments are related, even seemingly random moments, when we look back at them. This quote is an example of Nabokov trying to understand himself and why he was given this life; he cannot figure it out. I think this sentence is beautifully written. It expresses how art can add meaning and understanding to a life; the "watermark" is only made visible by "the lamp of art." (I looked up "foolscap," and it's a type of paper.) That is the job of the memoirist or autobiographer; to try and understand life through writing.