Nabokov's "Lolita"

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at how Vladimir Nabokov's Humbert Humbert is a prime example of a character that forces the general public to reconsider what they view as acceptable behavior in literature and society and how throughout the book Nabokov demands of his readers a very personal analysis not only into his writing but into the reader's own sense of decency. It contends that while Nabokov's story is hardly pornographic, it deals heavily with the idea of child molestation though it is never expressly called that in the book and how, while it is now considered one of the greatest books ever written, it is still a testament to the fact that the idea of exploring the sexual misdeeds of a grown man with a child will always result in strong emotions from the reader.

From the Paper:

"This depraved sense of normalcy lends itself to many uncomfortable moments throughout the book. Humbert is a man destined to be his own undoing. An emotionally clumsy man, he sees himself as very subtle and stealthy yet to the reader his agenda is very transparent. This becomes clear from the first day Humbert meets Lolita. After moving from Europe to the United States he ends up boarding with a woman named Charlotte Haze. From the moment he walks in the door of her home the reader is acutely aware of his desire to flee. He is immediately turned off by the state of her home and we see that it is quite obvious to the Haze woman. His attitude changes immediately however as soon as he sets eyes on Lolita. "

More papers on Nabokov's "Lolita":

• Comparison Essay # 17568 : "Nabokov: Lolita"
• Book Review # 92112 : "The Narrative Frame of Nabokov's "Lolita"
• Dissertation or Thesis # 147391 : "Symbols and Ambiguities in Nabokov's "Lolita"
• Book Review # 128823 : "Freudian Themes in Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita"

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