Pale Fire

by

Vladimir Nabokov

Pete Provost Character Analysis

Pete Provost (pseudonymously called “Pete Dean” in the poem “Pale Fire”) is Jane Provost’s cousin. Jane sets Pete up on a blind date with Hazel, but Pete is unimpressed with Hazel’s looks and finds an excuse to leave. Pete is just one of many men who apparently reject Hazel, and after he rejects her on their blind date, Hazel walks into a frozen lake and drowns herself.
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Pete Provost Character Timeline in Pale Fire

The timeline below shows where the character Pete Provost appears in Pale Fire. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Pale Fire: Canto Two
Death, Mystery, and the Afterlife Theme Icon
Patterns, Fate, and Coincidence Theme Icon
Loss and Longing Theme Icon
One night, Shade’s typist set Shade’s daughter up with her cousin, Pete. They went to a bar, but when Pete met Shade’s daughter, he left, claiming that... (full context)
Commentary: Lines 367-434
Identity, Delusion, and Loneliness Theme Icon
Loss and Longing Theme Icon
Lines 385-386: Jane Dean, Pete Dean. These are obviously pseudonyms. Kinbote met Jane right after John Shade’s death, and she... (full context)