A couple of the selected texts came from e-books, Davis notes, which made searching a snap. However, it is interesting that whenever Humbert has any inappropriate contact with Lolita, he follows quickly by writing of Charlotte’s contempt towards her daughter. Company Registration No: 4964706. The novel’s title character, and Humbert Humbert’s great nymphet love. And this is the only immortality you and I may share, my Lolita. It is important to note Humbert does not dwell on the age of these men or the time period they lived in (hundreds of years ago).In addition to this, Humbert makes a direct comparison between Annabel, his childhood love, and Lolita. They are “seductive”, “physically-tone”, and “delicate” (Nabokov 17). Conversely, Lolita’s sexual scenes with Humbert are quick and do not describe any physical interaction. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com.Literature is not solely a method of entertainment. Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita is the confession of an erudite European intellectual with an obsessive desire for “nymphets”-girls between the ages of nine and fourteen who are, as he judges them, sexually aware.
By placing trust in the reader and stimulating their intelligence, Nabokov has created one of the literary masterpieces of all time.To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below:If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on the UKDiss.com website then please:Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.ukAll work is written to order. Charlotte, not fitting the maternal archetype whatsoever, was jealous of the relationship between Humbert and Lolita. They rolled over him. His dislike for Charlotte is made clear from the moment she is introduced to the reader; however Humbert continues to point out her vulgarity and lack of sophistication. To do so, a reader will often have to suspend their disbelief. Our Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. Sullen and evasive. Previously, when Humbert would engage in inappropriate contact with Lolita, he would deliberately point out her mother’s unaffectionate nature to justify his touching her child.
LitCharts uses cookies to personalize our services. Humbert Humbert, Part 1, Chapter 1 Lolita was many things. Although she doesn’t want to go, Charlotte sends Lolita off to summer camp. It seems the narrator wants to justify his actions. Having not yet learned that her mother is dead, and believing Humbert and Charlotte are still married, Lolita’s contact and conversation with Humbert resembles a bitter act of rebellion against her mother who forced her to attend camp (an experience she describes as “dirty” and “naughty” despite her cool demeanor). Teachers and parents! These men, whose women were often their muse, served great purpose to society. However, more than a romantic partner, Nabokov illustrates Lolita as a young girl in search of affection of any kind. Humbert writes: “At the hotel, we had separate rooms, but in the middle of the night she came sobbing into mine, and we made it up very gently” (Nabokov 142). Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does.Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts.The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of It is the language used that makes the grotesque themes in the novel bearable. Interesting to note is Lolita’s minimal dialogue in this part of the novel. Spencer Humbert Biographical information Physical description Spencer Humbert or Sam is the only child of Ruby Red and Garham Humbert. Humbert does this in order to paint himself as a tired father putting up with his difficult daughter’s every whim.Humbert’s descriptions of Lolita also change, removing the character’s likeability as the story progresses. Charlotte, Lolita’s mother and Humbert’s eventual wife in the novel, is a middle-class American housewife who aspires to be sophisticated and cultured. However, after she is accidently killed, Humbert is free to “parent” Lolita. The teenage girl is not particularly enjoying their voyage and is understandably vulgar and upset. He, himself, titles his work “Lolita”, as it is essentially the story of the young girl. Every movement she made, every shuffle and ripple, helped me to conceal and to improve the secret system of tactile correspondence between beast and beauty-between my gagged, bursting beast and the beauty of her dimpled body in its innocent cotton frock” (Nabokov 58-59). In Lolita, Nabokov indicates that narrator Humbert Humbert has his own personal agenda and tells the story in a very biased way through the use of characterization, diction, and comparison and contrast. I was not aiming at you.’ Of course not, my hot downy darling” (Nabokov 55). Humbert chooses to coin the term “nymphet” instead of using the accepted term of “underage girl”. In the final scenes where Humbert and Quilty are fighting, Humbert narrates: “I rolled over him.

Through the use of characterization, diction, and comparison and contrast, Nabokov suggests that Humbert is unreliable and knowingly writes a tale that paints himself as a victim of circumstances.As Humbert Humbert is the narrator of the novel, he characterizes the individuals in the story. Fact I’ve been revoltingly unfaithful to you, but it does not matter one bit, because you’ve stopped caring for me anyway…you haven’t kissed me yet, have you?” (Nabokov 112). Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. To him, she is not vulgar, but charming, not aggressive, but misunderstood by her wretched mother. 2. This is demonstrated numerous times in the novel: “How smugly would I marvel that she was mine, mine, mine” (Nabokov 161). Despite Humbert Humbert’s horrid crimes, his language and wordplay make for a more pleasant reading experience than one would expect. The fact that his opinions of other characters change so rapidly and so often indicate that Humbert is using them to better his image in the eyes of the reader.There are instances where Humbert seems disgusted with himself, describing his attraction to nymphets as “a monstrous love”(Nabokov 83).