Pnin, a character in Nabokov's novel, reflects on the essence of psychiatry in his conversation with Chateau. He suggests that psychiatry resembles a microcosm of communism, where collective understanding overshadows individual experiences. Pnin questions the validity of bringing public attention to personal grief, arguing that such sorrow is an intrinsic part of human existence and one of the few things that individuals truly own.

This perspective emphasizes the importance of personal suffering and the privacy associated with it. Pnin's thoughts provoke deeper contemplation about how society often seeks to address individual pain through broader frameworks, potentially disregarding the personal nature of sorrow that each person experiences. He advocates for a more respectful acknowledgment of private grief, suggesting that it deserves to remain untouched by external influence.