Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita Essay - 1368 Words

Whether it be the long established bible for favoritism of gender or contemporary Thirteen Reasons Why for its explicit illustration of suicide, books are constantly banned for one reason or another. Sometimes, however, censored literature proves to be the most insightful and most original. Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita has been subject to criticism and censorship since its first publication in 1955. Critics constantly degrade the novel as repulsive and an endorsement of pedophilia. Although Lolita was censored for its sexual and obscene content, the characterization of protagonist Humbert Humbert proves it to be just as appropriate as other literature. Critics support Lolita’s censorship because they believe protagonist Humbert Humbert’s†¦show more content†¦This has occurred in society before where criminals convicted of murder simply blame it on their Schizophrenia or Bipolar disorder. Barbara Straumann, when analyzing the relationship between young Humb ert and his lover Annabel, states, â€Å"Yet, if the Annabel story is one of his fakes, it is fabricated to deceive himself...thinking about the cause of ‘the rift in my life’ giving rise, or rather arousing, his ‘excessive desire’ for underage girls† (94). Here, Straumann explores the unreliability of Humbert’s narration by claiming his story of Annabel as simply an excuse for his actions. Child molesters blaming their actions on traumas in the past was exactly the event critics fear if the ideas in Lolita become widespread. Proceeding from mental disorders, Humbert brings up his other â€Å"side† who mistreated Lolita. This ushers in dissociative identity disorder to the novel, another illegitimate excuse critics believe can be used as a justification for child molestation. Mark Nicholls also finds Humbert’s admission of another personality. He states, â€Å"For in Humbert, from the beginning, there is that other side of his p ersonality, the side in which sexuality...bound up with the pursuit of perversion† (162). Additionally, critics claim Nabokov characterizes Humbert so he is able to mask his evil nature behind his eloquence and charm. Humbert recountsShow MoreRelated Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita Essay605 Words   |  3 PagesVladimir Nabokovs Lolita Love, what is it? Love is a powerful feeling that is expressed in many ways throughout our society between men and women. Sometimes powerful feelings can have a negative ending, such as the ending in the novel Lolita. The affair, Humbert argues, was made possible because he resembled a movie star to Lolita, and ends when Quilty offers her a chance at Hollywood, something Humbert cannot do. Lolita is perceived by the adults in her life--Humbert, Charlotte, andRead MoreVladimir Nabokovs Lolita Essay2090 Words   |  9 Pagesmost obvious feature of Lolita, and the main reason for its staying power, is Humbert Humberts striking, complex, and enchanting prose. Humbert diverts the reader from his ugly actions, as a pedophile, with his pretty words. He goes beyond ordinary prettiness; his constant wordplay and verbal games force the reader to concentrate on language rather than on him. With his ability of enchanting words and wordplay, he develops the ability to freeze time and in turn freeze Lolita in her â€Å"nymphet† stateRead More The Effect of Language in Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita Essay2045 Words   |  9 PagesThe Effect of Language in Lolita      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What really is reality? How can we define reality? The very nature of such a subjective subject means that there are as many answers as there are questioning minds on the planet. Therefore, reality can only be defined as what it means to each of us. We learn particular ways of looking at life from our experiences, which we gain from our interactions with others. This is the basis of an elaborate theory called the social construction of realityRead MoreEssay Obsession in Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita2272 Words   |  10 PagesObsession in Lolita      Ã‚  Ã‚   The relationship between Humbert Humbert and Lolita is no doubt a unique one. Many people who read the novel argue that it is based on lust, but others say that Humbert really is in love with Lolita. However, there is some astounding evidence that Humbert has an obsessional-compulsive disorder with Lolita. The obsession is clearly illustrated when Humberts actions and behavior are compared to the experts definitions and descriptions of obsession. In manyRead More Humberts Description of Lolita in Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita1002 Words   |  5 PagesHumberts Description of Lolita      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Chapter 31 of Part 1 of Lolita, Humbert and Lolita are in the lobby of the Enchanted Hunters only hours after consummating their sexual relationship. As Humbert arrives in the lobby to check out of the hotel, he observes Lolita as she sits reading a movie magazine in a large armchair, and his description of her progresses from a focus on her loss of innocence to a focus on her inner, demonic nature. As elsewhere in the novel, the reader here seesRead More The Unreliable Narrator in Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita Essay examples2020 Words   |  9 Pageswit, his intelligence, and - yes - his murderers fancy prose style, we may momentarily forget that he is indeed the monster he says he is (Rivers and Nicol 153).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his On a Book Entitled Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov recalls that he felt the first little throb of Lolita run through him as he read a newspaper article about an ape who, after months of coaxing by a scientist, produced the first drawing ever charcoaled by an animal: this sketch showed the bars of the poor creaturesRead More Lolita Essay1469 Words   |  6 Pages Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita When Vladimir Nabokov finished writing the novel Lolita he knew the explosive subject matter that he was now holding in his hands. After being turned down by publishing houses on numerous occasions to unleash his controversial story to the public, it was finally published by the French in 1955. Many critics were shocked and called it pornography while others praised his work. How could a pure thinking author conjugate ideas on issues so dark and depraved? What were hisRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel Lolita And The Sound Tells A Story 1312 Words   |  6 PagesNovel and Film’s Sound Tells a Story We can go through Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita and find a plethora of passages with beautiful, descriptive, and meaningful writing. Nabokov’s 309 pages of art gives the world of literature something worth discussing, analyzing, loving, and adapting. The art of Lolita has been adapted into film by director Adrian Lyne with his filmed titled â€Å"Lolita†, released in 1997. In Lyne’s adaptation of Lolita we specifically see an important passage come to life; theRead Moreï » ¿Does Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’ have any canonical value?1325 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Does Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’ have any canonical value? The literary canon is the group of texts considered to be of the most value. These are books which are generally taught in schools, colleges and universities. Authors that belong to the canon seem to follow certain characteristics; middle or upper class, white male authors who are dead. Writers such as Shakespeare, Milton and Chaucer are synonymous with the canon and also follow these characteristics. Vladimir Nabokov follows most of theseRead MoreVladimir Nabokov and Lolita757 Words   |  3 Pages A man of many talents, Vladimir Nabokov is known not only for his controversial work Lolita, he was also an avid lepidopterist – in particular, butterflies. There is no doubt that when penning Lolita’s character, Nabokov imprinted several butterfly characteristics on her. This essay however does not seek to investigate the parallels between Lolita and the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Rather, it takes the road less travelled and examines the parallels between Nabokov and Humbert Humbert, not as