Dr. Nattochdag is the head of Kinbote’s department at Wordsmith College. While the novel never reveals the specific department to which Kinbote belongs (Kinbote seems to believe that he’s a Zemblan professor), it’s likely that Nattochdag teaches a Slavic language. Kinbote is quite fond of Dr. Nattochdag and claims that the man is very kind.
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Dr. Nattochdag Character Timeline in Pale Fire
The timeline below shows where the character Dr. Nattochdag appears in Pale Fire. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Foreword
...leaving the room, the narrator pulled Emerald’s bowtie loose. One day, the narrator’s department head, Dr. Nattochdag , called him in and asked him to be “more careful” because a boy complained....
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Commentary: Lines 469-629
...and he was one of the men in Shade’s orbit, including the “distinguished Zemblan scholar” Professor Nattochdag .
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