What is john shade?

John Shade is a fictional character who is the protagonist of Vladimir Nabokov's novel "Pale Fire." He is a poet and a professor at Wordsmith College in New Wye, USA. The novel is written in the form of a poem composed by Shade, with annotations provided by his eccentric neighbor, Charles Kinbote, who claims to be the exiled monarch of the mythical country of Zembla.

Shade is a deeply introspective character who is haunted by the memory of his daughter, Hazel, who died in a freak accident. He is also struggling with writer's block and is frustrated by the inability of language to adequately capture the complexities of human emotion and experience.

Despite his internal struggles, Shade is a highly observant and intelligent individual who has a keen eye for detail and an insatiable curiosity about the world around him. He is also a devoted husband and father who cares deeply about his family and the people in his life.

Shade's character is a fascinating exploration of the creative process, the nature of memory and identity, and the limitations of language. His tragic story and the labyrinthine structure of "Pale Fire" have made it one of the most celebrated works of 20th-century literature.