week 5/ Lolita

Lolita is such a controversial book I wanted to wait until I had finished it in it's entirety before I commented on it. On the one hand the elegant prose style elevates this tale to such a level that it's hard to objectively look at the subject material. On the other, if one focuses solely on the subject, then one demeans and abolishes the novel. For this post I want to focus on Nabokov's writing style and how that influences the story itself.

By writing the history of a convict from the pedophile's point of view, the audience has already assumed a positive attitude towards the narrator. Why is that? Because the convict is going to naturally try and spin the story, and himself, in an, at least, moderately positive light. They will do this automatically as a method of self preservation, no matter how much guilt they may feel or express.

As the Pedophile presents his story he will justify his actions by those of the other characters. In "Lolita", Humbert doesn't even try to hide this automated psychological defense. Humbert Humbert uses his gift of elegant prose to romanticize an otherwise socially monstrous act. His flowery language distracts the reader from the actual words and allows them to be persuaded by the heady universe of love that Humbert professes himself to live in.

In this universe it is Lolita that is the seductress and Humbert the innocent bystander for the most part of the novel. Although he expresses feelings of guilt and uneasiness, it's only at the very end that Humbert admits that his actions were monstrous. At this point of admission the audience has already fallen for his story. At this point the "jury" that he speaks to are perhaps willing to forgive his transgressions in light of his new found guilt.

Humbert speaks of his eternal suffering that evolves from the knowledge that he has stolen Lolita's innocence and childhood. This suffering is meant to sway the jury of his imminent and ongoing sentence. The fact that it is done by himself to himself could perhaps persuade the jury that no further action need be taken.

All of these persuasive tactics are used in Humbert's recounting of the tale and all are meant to impress upon the jury the point that he has and continues to suffer for his crimes. There are moments where he seems sincere--the moments where he idolizes Lolita--though his continued duplicity towards the other characters should send warning signals to the reader. Here, Nabokov has presented a wonderful dilemma of prose and content that only the reader can truly work out for themselves.