Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita Essay

Through searching inside the haze one will find their true self. In the book “The Ravishing of Lol Stein” by Marguerite Duras, the main character, Lol Stein, goes through a journey to express her true personality. In the passage, Lol has an affair with the narrator, Jack Hold, which shows her transition as a person the most. Her internal transition into becoming an entirely different person is highlighted by the author’s use of repetition, diction, symbolism, and dialogue.

The use of mythology in the novel controls the story by deliberately characterizing Humbert and Lolita as Adam and Eve. Humbert cannot control his physical attraction towards Lolita nor his desire. Nabokov use of symbolisms of apples and the forbidden expresses the sin and immoral action. Humbert describes her attire as inappropriate for church, yet, “his heart beats like a drum when he sat next to her” and he projects an innocent almost childlike behavior by taking her delicious “apple” away when she tossed it up (Lolita 58). Even more, Nabokov subverts the predilection of the American girl into an “American nymph” and the adaptation of a mythical figure weakens the severity of the tragedy or the degree of harm Humbert has committed with Lolita. He fantasizes towards her and his desires are an imaginary illusion “what I had madly possessed was not she, but my own creation, another, fanciful Lolita—perhaps, more real than Lolita; overlapping, encasing her; floating between me and her, and having no will, no consciousness— indeed no life of her own” (Nabokov 62). Humbert expresses Lolita to nymphet thighs delineating Lolita from a human and diminishing the sexual act because it is her who seduces

This results in the narrative perspective of the novel demonstrating how Humbert attempts to conceal his true nature through, in his own mind, clever ‘adjustments’ to how the story is presented and references to historical figures who shared the same desires as him- ‘Oh Lolita, you are my girl, as Vee was Poe’s and Bea Dante’s’ (Nabokov 1955), yet often reverts to a disposition in which he laments about his monstrous desires. Not only this, but the comparison to famous literary greats suggests that Humbert considers himself to be of their status and thus possesses an idolized version of himself, a self which can easily transform language into ploys to conceal his true nature.

    In Chapter 31 of Part 1 of Lolita, Humbert and Lolita are in the lobby of the Enchanted Hunters only hours after consummating their sexual relationship. As Humbert arrives in the lobby to check out of the hotel, he observes Lolita as she sits reading a movie magazine in a large armchair, and his description of her progresses from a focus on her loss of innocence to a focus on her inner, demonic nature. As elsewhere in the novel, the reader here sees Humbert attempting to mitigate his own sense of guilt and self-loathing.

The relationship between Annabel and Humbert is one marked with sexual restraint. Humbert describes an important sexual encounter, when they escaped to a mimosa grove while their chaperones play bridge, in great depth and it is this encounter that haunts Humbert for the rest of his life. Shortly after this moment, Annabel is called away by her mother and Humbert never gets to reach his sexual climax. He also never sees Annabel again because she dies of typhus four months later. Because of her death, Annabel is kept sacred and perfect in Humbert’s memory. The unsuccessful first tryst plagues the rest of Humbert’s relationships with women. Ellen Pifer reiterates this in her book, Demon and Doll, saying that “It is Humbert’s longing for the unattainable, for ideal perfection – what he calls the ‘rosegray never-to-be-had’ – that fires his imagination and fuels his desire for nymphet beauty” (68). This unattainable perfection which Pifer speaks of appears to be the ever-young Annabel.

    The relationship between Humbert Humbert and Lolita is no doubt a unique one. Many people who read the novel argue that it is based on "lust", but others say that Humbert really is in "love" with Lolita. However, there is some astounding evidence that Humbert has an obsessional-compulsive disorder with Lolita. The obsession is clearly illustrated when Humbert's actions and behavior are compared to the experts' definitions and descriptions of obsession. In many passages, Humbert displays obsessional tendencies through his descriptive word choice and his controlling personality. Many people are obsessive, so this is not an alien subject. We see it everyday in the entertainment industry as well as in

Psychoanalysis is the subdivision of psychology that concentrates on treating mental disorders by identifying the relations between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind. It is said that often the unconscious mind prods people to make decisions even if they don’t’ distinguish it on a conscious level. The psychoanalytical theory, introduced in the 19th century by Sigmund Freud, highlights on the idea that experiences that occur during one’s childhood can contribute to the way people will function later in adulthood. In this paper, I will analyze Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov through psychoanalysis and provide reasoning behind the characters actions in this controversial novel.

One aspect of ‘Lolita’ that may deem it unacceptable as being part of the literary canon or having any canonical value is its subject matter; a middle-aged man’s obsession with a twelve-year old girl. On the surface, this seems disgusting and creates a feeling of repulsion within the reader. But under the surface, there are connotations of deep, sincere love from both Humbert and Lolita. “…and I looked and looked at her and knew clearly as I know I am to die, that I loved her more than anything I had ever seen or imagined on earth, or hoped for anywhere else.” Nabokov’s poetic elegance turn Humbert’s mentions of love into sweeping statements of an emotion that seems to be deeper than love. In a way, even after Lolita has left him at the end of the novel, Humbert writes his memoirs as if to ensure that

The two passages, written by Humbert Humbert, describes two of his ‘nymphet’ loves. In the passage, both Annabelle and Lolita gets introduced. Read the passages carefully. Then, write an essay that compares H.H.’s perspective of the two characters to show his feelings on both of them.

There are several points where I disagree with Mr. Prescott about Lolita, but that was expected since this review was written in 1958. One point that Mr. Prescott makes is that the novel is disgusting and that, “to describe such a perversion with the pervert's enthusiasm without being disgusting is impossible.” He also states that Mr. Nabokov failed at doing so in Lolita, but I disagree. I actually believe that Nabokov succeeds in confusing the reader and makes the narrative of a pervert not as disturbing as most would think it to be. All of the french words and phrases used as well as the numerous uses of figurative language in the text distract the user from the disgust they feel about his perversion. One place where this occurs is in a small

The infamous story of Lolita by author Vladimir Nabokov has been a controversial one since its first release in America in November 1958. The publishing world and the average readers were not prepared or interested in reading a story about a middle-aged pedophile and his twelve year old stepdaughter. People were outraged by the book and were repulsed by it, but as the moth is drawn to the flame, so are curious minds and within one week, Lolita became a best-selling book.

There is a town in Texas called Lolita; and in 1959, its people were enraged and embattled by the publication of “Lolita”, by Vladimir Nabokov. The name of their town now connoted rape, not patriotism, as it was originally named after a patriot’s daughter. But the people of this town decided to wait it out, as they figured the book’s popularity would have to lose steam eventually (Wells). This, of course, is taking a lot longer than anyone expected. The book Lolita, widely considered a classic and one of the best of the 20th century, has transformed into a part of pop culture, though the book itself looses some of its meaning in doing so.

Obsession. Obsession of objects, the only remaining object on a list of collectors’ items, years spent trying to finish it. Obsession of hobbies, spending hours a day in the garage rummaging through thousands of dollars worth of car parts to finally create the go kart of a child’s dreams. Obsession of people, that one person who someone can’t stop fantasizing about despite having only spoken to them once. It envelops humans in a sense of belonging, purpose.

Lolita becomes ill, and is forced to go to the hospital. Humbert comes into the hospital one morning only to find that she has been checked out of by another man.

Lolita, the novel by Vladimir Nabokov, tells the story of Humbert Humbert, who is a perfect example of a pedophile. Although the character Humbert Humbert describes his feelings toward the twelve year old Lolita as love, in actuality, it is obsessive lust. Nabokov does an excellent job displaying the characteristics of pedophilia through this character. Reading Lolita makes us conscious of the need to be more aware that pedophilia is alive and well in our society today. In developing this point, I will examine pedophilia and its clinical characteristics as they relate to Humbert Humbert and our society.