An Appeal

"I loved you. I was a pentapod monster, but I loved you. I was despicable and brutal, and turpid, and everything, mais je t'aimais, je t'aimais! And there were times when I knew how you felt, and it was hell to know it, my little one. Lolita girl, brave Dolly Schiller." 284

This quote from HH is not only a confession, but also a realization and an appeal to the jury of his case. Humbert confesses that he is aware that he deprived Lolita of a normal childhood, and was a "despicable and brutal" monster towards her. However, he appeals to both Lolita and the jury when he talks directly to her, as if she could hear what he was saying. He admits that, at times, he knew how much pain she was suffering from, but he chose to ignore it because "it was hell to know it." If he knew that she was paying such a high price for his happiness, how is the jury supposed to believe that he actually loves her? There is a paradox between HH using his love as an excuse for what he did, and his confession that he knew she was suffering.

At the end of the quote, HH calls her, "my little one. Lolita girl," showing how he used to feel towards her. However, this is the first time (that I can tell) that HH calls Lolita by her more common nickname name, Dolly. This shows that he is no longer attached to her in the way that he used to be when she was a nymphet, and that he has come to the realization that she will never be his possession again. This quote provides some finality as to HH's feelings towards Dolores Haze. While he asserts that he is still in love with her, he also shows that he is aware he was cruel towards her and that they will never be together again.

Q: Was it really love?

Cami Morrow

Realization of Love

"I had no intention of torturing my darling. Somewhere beyond Bill's shack an afterwork radio begun singing of folly and fate, and there she was with her ruined looks and her adult, rope-veined narrow hands and her goose-flesh white arms, and her shallow ears, and her unkempt armpits, there she was (my Lolita!), hopelessly worn at seventeen, with that baby, dreaming already in her of becoming a big shot and retiring around 2020 A.D.-- and I looked and looked at her, and knew as 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."

In this passage, Humbert has come to Dolly's house seeking answers. He wants to know who captured her three years ago and where they went. Dolly has changed dramatically in the past three years. She is no longer a nymph but is a late teenager with a baby in her belly and a husband. The reader sees how much three years matters to maturation when a person is young and the reader can see this in the way Dolly has changed.

Throughout the novel, Humbert has made it clear that he is only attracted to nymphs. He has no interest in older girls or women his age. In fact, he doesn't seem to like anyone at all. Throughout the novel, he doesn't even seem to like Lolita. The only reason he keeps Lolita around is because he has a fantasy that he's trying to play out. The possibility of Humbert being capable of true love seems far fetched until he visits Lolita after three years. He expresses his love for her even though her looks are "ruined" (which is ironic because society generally considers the age of 17 to be a person's "prime years"). The theme of fantasy vs. reality is represented here. Humbert has been brought back to reality. He comes to the realization that he really does love Lolita as a person and not just for her nymphish looks because she is no longer a child.

Does Humbert really love Lolita or is he still just in love with the ideal fantasy of her as a child?

-Molly Cook

Mania

Unless it can be proven to me—to me as I am now, today, with my heart and my beard, and my putrefaction—that, in the infinite run it does not matter a jot that a North American girl child named Dolores Haze had been deprived of her childhood by a maniac, unless this can be proven (and if it can, life is a joke) I see nothing for the treatment of my misery but the melancholy and very local palliative of articulate art. (283)

            Lolita was always the prized doll of a possession that Humbert sought to keep and store away forever. Throughout the book he had been obsessed with keeping her to himself and away from everyone else, trying to preserve, in a sense, her nymphet-ness. However, in this passage, as reality begins to fall together in front of him, Humbert realizes that Lolita—or Dolores Haze, rather—was not just a fantasy, not just a wish he couldn’t keep, not just a sex toy. She was a child with a soul and spirit that, in being isolated with the perverted HH, was twisted and left devoid of true love and hope. His preoccupation with her as a thing left her disregarded as a person. Previously in the novel, Humbert always focused only on objectifying Lolita rather than understanding her, and while he did drop notes here and there on Lolita’s personality, they seemed to be brushed off as only nuisances. In the same way that Humbert had turned a blind eye to his own flaws, he never acknowledged (or at least was always reluctant to acknowledge) Lolita’s fatal flaw: she was a person, Dolores Haze, with a life to live and that would neither forever fall to his coercion nor stay preserved in her nymphet shell. But here he does admit to being flawed (in his putrefaction) as well as acknowledge his role in the destruction of Dolores’ childhood, proving that he at last has some self awareness of his actions. He sees this as an undeniable fact, and with it comes the pain and chaos of emotion (and possibly guilt, though the reader can only hope) as reality hits him hard enough to leave him shocked at the ugliness and imperfection of the truth that he had so long hidden away under his madness.

This passage shows HH’s revelation of the novel’s theme of obsession as a blinder of men. The title “maniac” is inflicted on Humbert himself and he states that in being such a maniac he has caused irreversible and eternally staining damage and deprivation. He also says that in order to relieve the misery of this revelation, he must create something of it in art. This seems a bit ironic in that to create such a piece of art, one must relive and reevaluate everything that happened and apply creativity to fantasy where needed—an act that seems to further obsession rather than to cure it. However, this perspective on the way that art can be used to excuse some of the uglier things in life explains Humbert's illustration of this tale in the way that he tells it. He constructs this story so that he can be forgiven, thus ensuring a telling that portrays him as a romantic, sympathetic, and beautiful soul. For this reason, the benefit of the doubt is kept away from the words as the reader goes through the novel, and much of the smear between reality and artistic creation is questioned by the spectators. 

           

Q: How do you think things might have been different if Lolita was never able to escape from Humbert?

Olivia Lin

HH's Reflections

"It struck me, as my automaton knees went up and down, that I simply did not know a thing about my darling's mind and that quite possibly, behind the awful juvenile clichés, there was in her a garden and a twilight, and a palace gate—dim and adorable regions which happened to be lucidly and absolutely forbidden to me, in my polluted rags and miserable convulsions; for I often noticed that living as we did, she and I, in a world of total evil, we would become strangely embarrassed whenever I tried to discuss some thing she and an older friend,…I and Annabel,…might have discussed…She would mail her vulnerability in trite brashness and boredom, whereas I, using for my desperately detached comments an artificial tone of voice that set my own last teeth on edge, provoked my audience to such outbursts of rudeness as made any further conversation impossible” (284).

This passage is a recollection of a realization by Humbert that he had about his and Lolita’s relationship, and he is now telling his readers about it. Humbert realized that he did not really know that much about Lolita, which I figure is because he never felt the need to because she was always just his fantasy girl. He speaks of many things that he describes in grand language that could be in Lo’s mind, and states that they were forbidden to him. He also tells us that he realized that they could not hold a normal conversation, like many other pairs of people that he names would be able to. He says that they couldn’t discuss “anything of a genuine kind”. I think it’s important to take note of all these moments where Humbert realizes things of this sort, like the times he notices he is hurting Lolita, and when he says he knows what they are doing is wrong, these can maybe help us understand more about what he does and why.

Q: If Humbert had come to these sort of realizations earlier, might things have turned out differently?

The Internet Has Everything...

http://www.quickmeme.com/Pedobear/

Humbert Humbert, meme-fied.

Humbert's Confession

“You may jeer at me, and threaten to clear the court, but untiI am gagged and half-throttled, I will shout my poor truth. I will insist the world know how much I loved my Lolita, this Lolita, pale and polluted, big with another’s child…still auburn and almond, still Carmencita, still mine…I would go mad with tenderness at the mere sight of your dear wan face, at the mere sound of your raucous young voice, my Lolita.” pg 278

This passage takes place when Humbert finally tracks Lolita down, seeing her for the first time since they split. He discovers she has grown well past her nymphet stage, pregnant with the baby of her current husband, Dick. Although he notes how much he has changed physically, Humbert realizes he still deeply loves her.

Humbert’s realization of his love for Lolita, in this moment, ties together the whole idea of fantasy and reality we have faced throughout the novel between his and Lolita’s relationship. Until now, Humbert’s obsession with Lolita has been more of an idealization of Lolita, as he does everything he can to ensure that she lived up to his fantasy of the perfect nymphet. As he even goes as far to state earlier in the novel that he found her a “disgustingly conventional little girl,” we know at that point he did not love Lolita for Lolita—he fantasized about her nymphetic qualities and her appearance, as well as her ability to satisfy him sexually.

In this instance, however, we seem to see a true change in Humbert. His love for Lolita becomes more real that ever as he claims that he loves her truly for herself, regardless of the loss of her nyphetic qualities and her current physical state. It looks like what started out as lust directed towards a seemingly perfect nymphet has turned into true love, according to Humbert, as he claims he loves and will continue to love her deeply no matter what. Humbert hands Lolita money regardless of her firmly stating that she will not come away with him, and it seems that his love for her now represents a genuinely selfless devotion.

Q: What do make of Humbert’s confession? Do we excuse him for his crimes now that it seems like he does, at this point, sincerely care for Lolita’s well-being?

Lolita Part 2 CH 22-end

"You mean," she said opening her eyes and raising herself slightly, the snake that may strike, "you mean you will give us that money only if I go with you to a motel. Os that what you mean?"
"No" I said, "you got it all wrong. I want you to leave your incidental Dick, and this awful hole, and come to live with me and die with me, and everything with me." (words to that effect).
"You're crazy," she said, her features working.
"Think it over, Lolita. There are no strings attached. Except, perhaps- well no matter." (A reprieve, I wanted to say but did not.) "Anyway, if you refuse you will still get your....trousseau."
(278)

This conversation takes place in Lolita's new home, after Humbert tracks her down in hopes of finding her abductor. What I find interesting about this passage is that his love for Lolita is still burning. He had gone to her home, hoping to kill the man that stole him away from her, and really not expecting to feel the same passion for Lolita as before, considering she was long out of her nymphet stage. Earlier on the page, he was elaborating on how he discovered that no matter what physically happens to Lolita, he will still be attracted to her. Another thing I found interesting in this passage is that he is portraying a kind of father-like quality by giving her the money regardless of her choice. She wants him to go away with him, but even if she decides not to, he will support her financially. This may be one of the first times he uses money out of love, not out of fear. He takes on his role as a "father" and helps her and her husband with their debt.

Q: Did Humbert's role change with the absence of their relationship? Does he now see himself as a protector and true guardian, or is he still in love with the idea of Lolita?


Madelyn Moon

Fantasy vs. Reality

“A combination of naïveté and deception, of charm and vulgarity, of blue sulks and rosy mirth, Lolita, when she chose, could be a most exasperating brat. I was not really quite prepared for her fits of disorganized boredom, intense and vehement griping, her sprawling, droopy, dopey-eyed style, and what is called goofing off – a kind of diffused clowning which she thought was tough in a boyish hoodlum way. Mentally, I found her a disgustingly conventional little girl.” (148)

In this passage, the real Lolita once again falls short of Humbert's idealized version. Humbert fantasizes about a nymphet with all of the “desirable” qualities of children – innocence, vulnerability, and charm – but with none of their annoying habits. In reality, however, this perfect child does not exist; children, by nature, are often “exasperating brats” with a tendency to start “goofing off” at inopportune times. Lolita, despite her attempts to fill the sexual role of a woman, is still very obviously an immature girl. In an effort to ensure sexual favors, Humbert uses empty threats to take advantage of Lolita's naivety, much like parents trick their children into behaving. As he finds himself with a real-life child on his hands, Humbert is forced to take on an almost fatherly role for which he “was not really quite prepared.”

Humbert's characterization of Lolita as “a disgustingly conventional little girl” also further reveals his preoccupation with her appearance rather than her personality. He finds all of Lolita's tastes, interests, and habits terribly cliché and seems to only find her satisfying sexually. He is clearly not “in love” with Lolita as he so often claims, but rather infatuated with the idea of her as the culmination of his lifelong fantasies. Although Lolita clearly doesn't live up to his lofty ideals, Humbert desperately clings to any evidence of his perfect nymphet that he finds within her.

Q: Who really has the upper hand in this relationship – Humbert or Lolita?

The Situation

"'This is the situation, this is the choice. Dont you think that under the circumstances Dolores Haze had better stick to her old man?'
By rubbing all this in. I succeeded in terrorizing Lo, who despite a certain brash alertness of manner and spurts of wit was not as intelligent a child as her I.Q. might suggest" (151).

Humbert lectures Lo about the consequences of their secret getting out through this passage. Throughout the road trips, inns and hotels, one of Humberts biggest obstacles was keeping Lolita in a good mood. He attempted to bribe her with magazines, candy and motion pictures but eventually turned to a threat. Humbert attempted to gain back control from Lolita by exploiting the fact that she had absolutely no where else to go. This passage is important because it is the first I have read that gives him actual control instead of just his mistaken perception of his own control. The passage plays on the overall theme of control and the different methods of control. While Lo can manipulate Humbert through his love for her, Humbert has now recognized how to master Lo through her love and concern for herself.

The passage also depicts Humberts reoccurring artistry of words. Unsuccessfully, he attempts to use this talent on the readers and jury throughout the whole novel, seeking sympathy and understanding of his nymphodesiac lifestyle. However, in this passage, he does succeed in "terrorizing" Lo into submission. He uses his over exaggerated diction and talent of persuasion to keep Lo in line.

Do you think Lolita was actually terrorized by Humberts' rant or is this yet another illusion he has created for the reader?

Humberts Home : Paradise Lolita

"there is no other bliss on earth comparable to that of fondling a nymphet...despite all the fuss and faces she made, and the vulgarity and the danger, and the horrible hopelessness of it all, I still dwelled deep in my elected paradise-- a paradise whose skies were the color of hell - flames--but still a paradise " (166)


At this point in the novel, Humbert is traveling through the country with his Queen / Frigid princess / darling/ love. The deeper and deeper they continue on with their travels, he begins to realize with greater detail the flaws of his fantasized Lolita. He is going through the quarrels and struggles that Charlotte faced with her feisty Dolores. However , eventhough he gains a realization of all of this, he continues to desire her ever so lustfully. He describes himself as dwelling deep in his , "elected paradise,"which in other words is a fantasy that he has decided to reside in . Humbert chooses to keep Lolita enslaved as his "pet" and in his eyes there is nothing better than having her by his side. Yes, he is annoyed and appauled by some of the things she does, but at the same he cannot fail to get enough of her seduction. However, Humbert acknowledges that what he is doing is morally/ ethically wrong since his paradise skies are the color of ,"hell-flames". None of this seems to stop him since he continues to live in a state of nymphatic bliss.


Q: Why doesn't Lolita run off with the Trapp man in the first place? Why does she continue traveling with Humbert when she has had plenty of opportunities to escape ?

Lolita: The Situation

“We had been everywhere. We had really seen nothing. And I catch myself thinking today that our long journey had only defiled with a sinuous trail of slime the lovely, trustful, dreamy, enormous country that by then, in retrospect, was no more to us than a collection of dog-eared maps, ruined tour books, old tires, and her sobs in the night - every night, every night – the moment I feigned sleep.” (175-176)

The reason Humbert takes Dolores all over the country from one motel to the next was to escape the view of society. He had simultaneously wanted to travel the country with Dolores and visit all the sites his tour books had to offer, but during each destination, Humbert felt the sharp pain of guilt. The whole trip, all he wanted to do was build a closer relationship with Dolores, but his plan had failed as Dolores grew apart from him and wanted to meet other boys. Her crying during the night led the audience to believe that Dolores felt somewhat enslaved by Humbert. She knows she’s in a horrible situation with Humbert, but without him, she understands, she would be alone at a girls’ orphanage.

I think Humbert felt so guilty that he had felt bad about what he had been doing all throughout the trip. Humbert knew what he was doing was wrong. He knew it was illegal and immoral. What helped influence his guilt to an even greater level was Dolores’ crying at night while he faked sleep. The reader can’t know directly from the text, but they can assume Humbert was not trying to fall asleep during the sobbing. I believe that moment revealed to the audience that Humbert just now found out he was hurting his Lolita emotionally. Humbert’s inability to empathize with Dolores’ situation shows his lack of morality.

Q: Why does Dolores choose to stay with Humbert? Does she really consider living in an orphanage worse than being, on some level, kidnapped and raped?

- Paul Weber

Lolita, part 2, HH's plan.

"... to the thought that with patience and luck I might have her produce eventually a nymphet with my blood in her exquisite veins, a Lolita the Second, who would be eight or nine around 1960, when I would still be dans le force de l'âge, [...] practicing on supremely lovely Lolita the Third the art of being a granddad." (174)

After their travel in the West of the country, HH decided to settle in Beardsley where Lolita could go to school and enjoy a more "normal" youth, and where HH could learn more about the possibility of guardianship over Lolita. But HH, as he writes his story, regrets his decision of going to Beardsley: he now thinks that they should have gone abroad where he could have lived his perverted life with Lolita.

I think that this passage reaches a new level in the reader's understanding of HH's depravity. Indeed, this passage shows that HH does not love Lolita as a person: he loves the idea of Lolita, the image he has of this 12/13 year old nymphet. At this point, he believes that he won't love her forever, that as soon as she stops being a nymphet, he won't care about her. His perverse plan is therefore to use Lolita, to get her pregnant, and to relive his "love" story with the daughter, and later, with the grand daughter. By calling them "Lolita the Second" and "Lolita the Third", we understand that HH does not see Lolita as a unique person: his aim is to "produce" other girls that would correspond to the concept of a Lolita that HH has in mind, in order to live his passion indefinitely. His plan would be to replace one Lolita by another as soon as the girl gets too old: he sees her as an object rather than as a person and, as such, he thinks that he has total control over her... Would Lolita have accepted this life or would she have been strong enough to escape on her own?

Humbert's Loss of Control

"...and it would take hours of blandishments, threats and promises to make her lend me for a few seconds her brown limbs in the seclusion of the five-dollar room before undertaking anything she might prefer to my poor joy."

This passage is found at the beginning of part two when Humbert is telling of their journey across the country. Constantly moving from town to town, Humbert is going to great lengths to keep Lo all to himself. However, getting Lo to willingly go along with his schemes has proved more difficult than Humbert imagined. Lo demands frequent stops along the road and begs to stay at fancy hotels she sees advertised. Though Humbert's initial threats change her attitude a little bit, Lo tends to get her way and Humbert complies with her wishes.

Here is a great example of the theme of control seen throughout the book. Humbert initially thought he would have control over Lo since she had no one else after her mother died. However, Lo seems to be the one calling the shots now. Humbert has underestimated her strength and stubbornness, just like he did with her mother. The nymphet he once desired for her childlike qualities is quickly turning into a young woman and is realizing the hold she has over him. The fact that Humbert is giving into her demands, perhaps shows that it is indeed more than a relationship made up of lust. This passage reinforces the idea that it is all a game to Lo. She simply gives Humbert what he wants, which is little to her, in exchange for sodas, souvenirs, and sightseeing.

Q: Now that Humbert has realized that Lo is not the nymphet he thought she was, why does he continue to keep her around when she seems to just be causing him trouble?

Lolita Part 2

"We had been everywhere. We had really seen nothing. And I catch myself thinking today that our long journey had only defiled with a sinuous trail of slime the lovely, trustful, dreamy, enormous country that by then, in retrospect, was no more to us than a collection of dog-eared maps, ruined tour books, old tired, and he sobs in the night- every night, every night- the moment I feigned sleep." (pg 176)

This passage comes from Humbert's remorseful memories of their travels across the world. They had not been on vacation for pleasure, or to actually see and enjoy their time together. It had been out of fear. Humbert was worried that Lolita was going to tell somebody about their sexual encounters (as we learned in part 1) but he successfully hid her away with his dirty bribes and use of money.

Sight-seeing around the world could be a lovely thing but instead of being pleasurable, it really was just a way to keep Lolita all to himself. Before her mother died, Lolita was simply a beautiful nymphet in his eyes. He wanted to touch her sweetly and fondly her; he had no real intentions on having sex with her or ruining her purity. After he finally did have sex with her, his greed got the best of him and he wanted more. At night Lolita would begin to cry and the audience can only assume it was because of Humbert; she still relied on him because he was the only authority figure she had in her life, even if the relationship was obviously vulgar.

Q: Lolita became drastically less excited about sight-seeing towards the end of their expeditions and even less enthralled with Humbert. Was it the bribes and presents that kept her from telling the policemen and adults about Humbert's actions or was there something else?

Madelyn Moon

Horror is in the Eye of the Beholder

“I want to protect you, dear, from all the horrors that happen to little girls in coal sheds and alley ways, and, alas, comme vous le savez trop bien, ma gentile, in the blueberry woods during the bluest of summers. Through thick and thin I will still stay you guardian, and if you are good, I hope a court may legalize that guardianship before long” (149).

This excerpt comes from the first chapter of part two when Humbert and Lolita begin their journey across the States.  Moving from one hotel to another Humbert isolates Lolita from the rest of the world in order to keep their relationship a secret. Knowing that her cooperation is a necessity, he attempts to gain her collaboration by taking her to movies and buying her various gifts. When this fails, and Lolita continues to throw tantrums, he resorts to threats of solitude and reformatories.

The above quote is another excellent example of how Humbert uses his language to manipulate the reader into taking a certain point of view. By using words like “protect” and “guardian” he attempts to create the illusion that he actually has Lolita’s best interests in mind. Continuing on, he describes adolescent sexual encounters as “Horrors” that she must be kept from, when in fact, he is committing these same acts against her. At the end he comments on his hopes of being awarded guardianship so that he may continue to look after Lolita. Once again his true intentions are hidden by his choice of words as he secretly hopes to keep Lolita all to himself.

Q: In his mind, do you think that Humbert truly loves Lolita, or is he just describing their relationship in a manner to cover up his depraved acts?

-Jonathan Virdell

Lolita end Part I

"...her cheeks looked hollowed and too much lentigo camouflaged her rosy rustic features; and that first impression (a very narrow human interval between two tiger heartbeats) carried the clear implication that all widower Humbert had to do, wanted to do, or would do, was to give this wan-looking through sun-colored little orphan aux yeux battus (and even those plumbaceous umbrae under her eyes bore freckles) a sound education, a healthy and happy girlhood, a clean home, nice girl-friends of her age among whom (if the fates deigned her to repay me) I might find, perhaps, a pretty little Magdlein for Herr Doktor Humbert alone. But "in a wink," as the Germans say, the angelic line of conduct was erased, and I overtook my prey (time moves ahead of our fancies!), and she was my Lolita again- in fact, more of my Lolita than ever." (page 111)

This quote puts a unique perspective on the coming events at the end of part one. As Humbert is finally granted full control and possession over Lolita's life he seems to ponder the possibility of fulfilling the expected fatherly duties. Humbert questions his own capability of fulfilling the paternal role despite his original intentions being purely nymphatic attraction to young Lolita. There is a definite glimmer of remorse for how the fates have dealt Humbert complete and unobstructed control of Lolita while he holds such sexually driven emotions for her. It seems as though Humbert wishes he could simply appreciate the wonderful blessing of the opportunity to provide for Lolita the rest of his life, and that if he doesn't take advantage of this miracle for his own personal benefit possibly the fate will subsequently repay him for undertaking Lolita in the form of other young girls becoming more frequent in his life. This paragraph seems only to serve as a brief mental flash of morality and duty within Humbert's mind as he is beginning to comprehend his new-found control and access to Lolita. Unfortunately for the reader, his nymphatic mentality and selfish intentions with regard to Lolita's life and innocence are re-assumed just as abruptly as they left.

Q: Is the reader expected to believe the possibility of Humbert's success as a father figure, or to merely juxtapose this theory to the in-surmounting inevitability of Lolita's life being harmed by his presence?

Lolita: End of Part 1

“I insist upon proving that I am not, and never was, and never could have been, a brutal scoundrel. The gentle and dreamy regions through which I crept were the patrimonies of poets-not crime’s prowling ground. Had I reached my goal, my ecstasy would have been all softness, a case of internal combustion of which she would have hardly felt the heat, even if she were wide awake. But I still hoped she might gradually be engulfed in completeness of stupor that would allow me to taste more than a glimmer of her.” (131)

These lines show his desperate attempt at obtaining sympathy from his audience. He describes this inexcusable scenario to make it appear as if his advances were with good intentions. His self-delusion only succeeds in enforcing his unconvincing case. As a reader I still cannot sympathize with his argument. What he proposes as physically harmless may mentally be more troublesome when the child has matured and can look back at the experience with a better perspective. If his intentions were truly rooted in love and not lust one would think that he would wish for her complete awareness and consent.

The last line of this paragraph makes me question if he is not only using the sleeping pills to knock her out, but because this is the only way he could actually control her. She seems to hold power over him and he now can be the dominant force when she is drugged.

Q: Do you think that secretly Humbert wishes he could be this “brutal scoundrel” that would not have to drug his victims to exert his dominance?

Not Exactly a Blog Post

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44699167/ns/today-books/t/risky-reads-books-have-been-banned?gt1=43001

I felt this was relevant to us. :)

LOLITA end of part 1

"I am trying to describe these things not to relive them in any present boundless misery, but to sort out the portion of hell and portion of heaven in that strange, awful, maddening world--nymphet love. That beastly and beautiful merged at one point, and it is that borderline I would like to fix, and I feel I fail to do so utterly. Why?" (page 135)

I am still trying to pin down where exactly Humbert stands on the entire issue of his "nymphet love". It seems he is completely torn. He explains and revels in all the details of his sexual desires while at the same time admitting that its wrong and that he "tries" to be good. In the same breath he delights in but then condemns his own behavior. It is both heaven and hell for him, beastly and beautiful, and this passage so clearly displays the chaos and controversy that is going on inside his mind. He can't seem to reconcile his guilt with his passion and the reader can't tell which he has more of, shame or desire. We are left wondering if Humbert would even change this habit and get rid of these fantasies if given the option. Also,  it is not clear whether or not all of the events that take place with Lolita actually happened as he says they do or if they take place inside his twisted mind. The line between Humbert's delusion and actual reality seems to have disappeared in some way. The way that Humbert writes in a very eloquent way, with elaborate detail and attempting to relate to the reader makes us want to believe the validity of the events that occur. However, we know that he is mentally unstable and all the details of his encounters that he describes could very well just be a part of his delusion and fantasy.


Q: How do you think Humbert would "fix" the "borderline". Do you think, if given the choice, Humbert would rid himself of his "nymphet love", his pedophilia? Do you think he in any way wishes he could be attracted to adult women over adolescents?

-Annie B

Lolita

"Please, reader : no matter your exasperation with the tenderhearted , morbidly sensitive, infinitely circumspect hero of my book, do not skip these essential pages ! .... try to discern the doe in me , trembling in the forest of my own iniquity " (129)



This moment illustrates another boldly obvious strategy of Humbert to mask his innocence and victimize himself . He confidently describes himself as an "infinitely circumspect hero." The idea of Humbert considering himself a hero is simply appauling. Maybe he considers himself a heroine for being able to have cautiously come thus far, and discreetly not be suspected of his true intentions with Lolita. He never fails to remind us that he is merely a protector of her "purity."Humbert urges us not to skip these "essential pages, " because his aversion from his actual crime is not yet complete. Ironically, the pages following this quote portray Lo as the instigator of it all . He describes himself, " trembling in the forest of my own iniquity." In a simplified version, Humbert, is a trembling victim of his own wickedness. He seperates his evil deeds/thoughts/nymphile desires/fantasies as an entire entity of its own, and even victimizes himself from his own actions. Humbert clearly is on a mission to convince his jurors/audience that everything was forced upon him. In his eyes, fate and the sequence of events intertwined to fulfill his lustful nymphile hunger.


Q: Why would Humbert consider himself a hero ?