Character Analysis
Nabokov skillfully characterizes the Kellers as big pains in the (you-know-what). Of course, we feel horribly bad for their situation (their daughter has died, and as far as they know their son-in-law keeps taking her to seedy hotels), but they deal with all this in a less-than-graceful fashion. Because we’re on Chorb’s side in this story, the Kellers are a source of anxiety – we worry about them showing up to the hotel and the scene that will follow when they arrive. In short, they’re not as important as characters themselves as they are an important part of the plot. Our focus stays with Chorb and his crazy wife-recovering mission.
The Kellers Timeline