Preview

Is Lolita a Love Story or Pornography?

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
3043 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Is Lolita a Love Story or Pornography?
Is Lolita a Love story or pornography? Is it Moral or Immoral?

Lolita, the dramatic story of the main character, Humbert Humbert and the twelve and a half year old Lolita is the most controversial and greatest masterpiece created by the Russian writer Vladimir Nabokov. Lolita is a full-blown psychological novel, a detective novel, a confessional novel, a Doppelgänger Tale, an extended allegory for artistic process a sexual myth, more complicated and mysterious than comparable to Freudian stereotypes, even a fable with correspondence to the little red riding hood story.
Nabokov possesses the power to enchant the reader with an enormous variety of beautiful language and structure. By creating word plays he enables H.H. to convince the reader to sympathise with him by referring to him as a romantic poet in reality he exploits and sexually abuses Lolita. The first part of this essay deals with the first chapter of Lolita in depth analysing Humbert's language and its effect on the reader.

Nabokov uses language as a device to portray Humbert's thoughts and emotions and to develop him subtly as the major character, established in this first passage. The tone of Humbert Humbert who is the narrator throughout the novel is very gentle to begin with, E g. "Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins." This metaphor established the idea that H.H. is a romantic poet. As well as the phrase; "My sin, my soul." Further using the literary device of metaphors, importantly this institutes him as the tragic hero from the beginning g onwards and not as a pervert.
His language contains a lot of literary devices such as metaphors, imagery and alliterations, E.g. "Tip of the tongue taking a trip…", creating images in the readers mind. It allows the reader to view the scene through Humbert's eyes, being dragged into the story and like a critic describes, he makes us his accomplice."
The perhaps most obvious point which can be made about Humbert is his obsession with the



Bibliography: O 'Connor, F. Phillip, A Question of quality, 5 pages, "Authors" for a new season, vol. 2 pp.139-43, 1980 Thomieres, Daniel, Cherchez la femme: Who was really Annabel Leigh? Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 23, number 1, pp. 166-171, Indiana University Press, Fall 1999 Boyd, Brian, Vladimir Nabokov: The American years, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, c1999 Bergenholtz, Rita A., Nabokov 's Lolita, 4 years, The explicator, vol53, summer 1995 Alexandrov, Vladimir E., Nabokov 's other world, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, c1991 Nabokov, Vlabimir, Lolita, St Ives plc, Clays Ltd Press, 2000

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita is the testimony and confession of Humbert Humbert. Throughout the novel, Humbert confesses both his inappropriate, pedophiliac relationship with twelve-year-old Dolores Haze (Lolita) and his murder of Clare Quilty. However, his confession is not simply a confession; it is also a defense of his many wrongdoings. Ultimately, Humbert wants to convince the reader or “jury” that he does not deserve the punishment of death, despite being guilty of murder.…

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Vladimir Nabokov, the author of Lolita, was born in Saint Petersburg, RussianFederation on April 22, 1899 and died on July 2, 1977. Vladimir was a Russian-Americannovelist, he wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then later transferred to English writings.When Vladimir wasn't writing he would catch butterflies, he didn't drive either so his wife, Vera,would chuffer him aroundLolita is a book written by Vladimir Nabokov's. It showcases a story about Humbert, aEuropean, who had a rough life due to the death of his mother. When he was 9, he met a girlnamed Annabel Leigh who he falls deeply in love with. But later dies of a disease called typhus.Her death was the cause for Humbert’s new mentality. Humbert is now obsessed with young girlbetween…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Very few books are capable of eliciting the same notoriety than that of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita. A story told solely through the mind of a pedophile in love, Lolita has become one of the most arduous books to read, which consequently made it one of the most talked about during the mid twentieth century. With a plot immensely difficult to ingest, and a protagonist with hauntingly low morals and an indisputable fondness of word play, Lolita was and still remains a landmark book with undisputable prominence. With such a serious topic written in the midst of a highly conservative era, both Lolita and Nabokov received disturbed reactions from offended audiences. The reputation of Lolita most notably is due to the misinterpretation of the character…

    • 2409 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    [ 10 ]. Bennett, A. and Royle, N. An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory (4th Ed.) (Harlow: Pearson, 2009) p. 326.…

    • 1386 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    of Humperdinck who loves torture and the effects of torture on human beings. Theses characters love for abnormal hobbies are a crucial part in the story.…

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Lolita Banned

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Through the use of language an author or narrator can manipulate the readers mind into developing certain emotions that can favor an individual’s actions. Such is the case with the narrator Humbert Humbert who uses poetic language and clever word choice in order to disguise his pedophile actions towards Lolita. For example Humbert starts the novel of by describing Lolita in an affectionate and caring manner. He describes her as “light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul” (Nabokov 9). His use of descriptive word choice manipulates the reader into assuming that he is in fact truly moved and in love with Lolita despite their age differences. They can also assume that Humbert has no negative intentions to harm Lolita as the way he describes her with such delicacy makes it seem she is his world. This causes the novel to be considered trash because Humbert use of manipulative language is used as an excuse to cause the readers to feel empathy for him instead of disgust or concern for Lolita’s innocence and…

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    childhood sweetheart, Annabelle. It then becomes evident that his obsession with Lolita started with Annabelle. He was haunted by the memories of his lost love, therefore the only way to kill Hum's pain was to incarnate Annabelle with another. Upon meeting Lolita, Humbert immediately recognizes the similarity between the two. "Lolita was a "fatal consequence of that "princedom by the sea" in my tortured past." (Nabokov, Vladmir Lolita, 11)…

    • 2117 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Along with the fact that this book addresses some of life’s toughest questions, another reason why this book is a top recommendation for nearly everybody is its raving reviews. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche summarises the book’s quality by stating in his Twilight of the Idols that “Dostoevsky (is) the only psychologist, incidentally, from whom I had something to learn” (Nietzsche 1888). The Brothers Karamazov has also earned its spot on Goodreads’ “Best Books Ever” list, as well as on other rankings across the internet, which all prove the book’s literary merit and the fact that everybody should read it. Dostoevsky’s final novel (The Brothers Karamazov) is similar to other books such as Dostoevsky’s own Crime and Punishment and Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon in that both books’ authors delve deeply into the psychological state of their characters, providing characterization that goes beyond what meets the eye. This is another way by which Dostoevsky addresses the big questions that encourage all readers to explore his book. This reason and others such as others’ recommendations and assertions…

    • 1432 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita

    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages

    He brings up pathos when he mentions “my very photogenic mother died in a freak accident (picnic, lightning) when I was three, and, save for a pocket warmth in the darkest past,” He begs for the reader’s sympathy in a very obvious way at the start of the book. The mention of a family death acquires him the sympathy immediately.He also mentions the start of it all, his childhood, his child love. Humbert’s obsession with “nymphets” stems from his “love” for the twelve year old Annabel. This first love propeles his pedophelic thoughts as he never mends his love for the 12 year old. Her death leaves him stranded in what Sigmund Freud called the Genital period. This fixation is what’s causing Humbert’s atrocious sexual…

    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lolita Leaving Sparknotes

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages

    After a heated argument, Lolita and Humbert decide to leave for another road trip, on the condition that they go where Lolita wants to go. As they leave, Lolita’s teacher expresses disappointment in Lolita leaving, saying the playwright was impressed by her performance. During their travels, Lolita often separates from Humbert and performs suspicious activities. The book continues to leave hints about the obscure man from earlier in the novel, recalling the name Clare Quilty, whom was the playwright for the play that Lolita was to act in. Though Lolita tells Humbert that Clare Quilty is a female writer, Humber recalls her having a crush on a male celebrity with the same name. Humbert begins notices cars following them, and deduces that whoever it is switches cars to avoid being caught. Before he can confront this person, Lolita distracts him by pulling forward their own car for their pursuer to get away. Humbert’s paranoia begins grow as he notices Lolita’s deceitfulness. One night, she becomes sick and is rushed to the hospital by Humbert. The next morning, Humbert is told that she had left with her uncle and becomes enraged; he leaves in distraught. He dedicates his time to search for Lolita in every hotel they’ve stayed at to try to find clues about her kidnapper, each time only to find a fake…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Upon waking up after a night out in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov feels irascible and can only concentrate on the horrendous act of murder he might commit. His visit to the desolate Marmeladov house from the previous night forces him to withdraw into a neurotic and isolated state. He wishes to dissociate from society, and even the servant girl Nastasya bringing a meal ignites anxiety within him. Raskolnikov’s first character trait that is established by Dostoevsky is his desire to avoid interactions with others.…

    • 356 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    His manipulative obsession over his “step-daughter” intensifies as the story progresses: finding pleasure in having her leg brush up against his thigh, giving her an allowance and then taking it away because “you see, she had absolutely nowhere else to go”, and finally, shooting the lover who impregnates and leaves her out in the cold. This unsound fixation on Lolita is a result of an unresolved mental conflict from years prior; this madness, whether through his unfortunate past or clever use of linguistic patterns, makes the reader involuntarily pity the pedophile. How can this be? Humbert himself confesses, “In point of fact, there might have been no Lolita at all had I not loved, one summer, an initial girl-child.” This girl-child being Annabel, in this line, he admits to having a major problem, making the reader wonder what if she didn’t die? His admission seduces the reader into feeling sorry for his mental anguish because perhaps there could have been a way to prevent his pedophilic behavior. Annabel’s death at the “nymphet phase” froze his perception of ideal lovers at that specific point in time, and although he aged, he remained mesmerized by young girls, ages nine to fourteen. Despite marrying women his age, he did not overcome the illegal…

    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    manament thesis

    • 13145 Words
    • 82 Pages

    Crosby P B. (1980). Quality is Free: The Art of Making Quality Certain. New York,…

    • 13145 Words
    • 82 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Singapore Airlines Report

    • 3450 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Peters, T. and Austin, N. A Passion for Excellence, Random House, New York, 1985 (also Warner Books, New York, 1985 ISBN 0-446-38348-1)…

    • 3450 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Scientific Management

    • 2133 Words
    • 9 Pages

    * Peters, Tom & Waterman, Robert. (1988) In Search Of Excellence. Harper & Row Publications.…

    • 2133 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays