Jane Provost (pseudonymously called “Jane Dean” in the poem “Pale Fire”) is Shade’s secretary and typist. She sets Hazel Shade up on a blind date with her cousin, Pete Provost, which goes terribly awry. Pete ultimately rejects Hazel, which leads Hazel to drown herself in a lake. After Shade’s death, Kinbote tracks Jane down and interviews her about the Shade family.
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Jane Provost Character Timeline in Pale Fire
The timeline below shows where the character Jane Provost appears in Pale Fire. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Pale Fire: Canto Two
One night, Shade’s typist set Shade’s daughter up with her cousin, Pete. They went to a bar, but when...
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Commentary: Lines 230-348
Line 230: a domestic ghost. Jane Provost, who was John Shade’s secretary, told Kinbote more about Hazel than John did, as...
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From Jane (Shade’s former secretary), however, Kinbote learned that Hazel herself went to the barn to investigate...
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Commentary: Lines 367-434
Lines 385-386: Jane Dean, Pete Dean. These are obviously pseudonyms. Kinbote met Jane right after John Shade’s death,...
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