Look at the harlequins! {...} All around you. Trees are harlequins, words are harlequins. So are situations and sums. Put two things together-jokes, images-and you get a triple harlequin. Come on! Play! Invent the world! Invent reality!
In "Look at the Harlequins!", Vladimir Nabokov invites readers to observe the world through a playful lens. The metaphor of harlequins represents the colorful and multifaceted nature of existence, suggesting that everything around us—trees, words, and various situations—holds the potential for creativity and imagination. By combining disparate elements like jokes and images, one can create new layers of meaning, reinforcing the notion that life is a canvas for invention.
Nabokov encourages a sense of playfulness in how we perceive reality, urging us to actively engage in shaping our surroundings. The call to invent the world implies that our experiences are not fixed but rather fluid and ripe for interpretation. This playful approach challenges us to explore the connections between things and to recognize the joy in creativity, thereby transforming our perspective on everyday life into something extraordinary.
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