Obsession in Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita

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Obsession in Lolita

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 Humbert's actions and behavior are compared to the experts' definitions and descriptions of obsession. In many passages, Humbert displays obsessional tendencies through his descriptive word choice and his controlling personality. Many people are obsessive, so this is not an alien subject. We see it everyday in the entertainment industry as well as in everyday life. Comparing Humbert Humbert to clinical and other definitions, it seems as if Humbert is one person who is an obsessed person.

Obsession is a tricky topic because it is hard to come up with a concrete definition. Who decides what obsession is? Where does one draw the line between obsession and deep admiration? According to S. Jack Rachman, "an obsession is an intrusive, repetitive thought, image, or impulse that is unacceptable or unwanted and gives rise to subjective resistance" (2). In addition, Andrew Brink states that "...the popular meaning of the term obsession, including the new verb 'to May 2 obsess', which means to be persistently preoccupied about something, usually an unsatisfactory relationship" (195). Both of these definitions are fairly similar, so now it is important to look at Humbert's actions and analyze how he fits into these defined categories.

First, Brink argues that most people, especially men, have an obsessiona...

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...aracter, but he is not abnormal. We have many Humberts running around our world, regardless of if we realize it or not. Nabokov, a man not too distant from Humbert, found a way to rationalize his obsession through Lolita - indeed an artistic and creative move on his part.

WORKS CITED

Beech, H. R. Obsessional States. London: Methuen & Co. LTD, 1974.

Brink, Andrew. Obsession and Culture: A Study of Sexual Obsession in Modern Fiction. London: Associated University Presses, Inc., 1996.

Nabokov, Vladamir. The Annotated Lolita. New York: Vintage Books, 1991.

Ostling, Richard N. A Fatal Obsession with the Stars.ä Time. 31 July 1989: 43-44.

Rachman, S. Jack. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Psychological and Pharmacological Treatment. New York: Plenum Press, 1985.

Salzman, Leon. The Obsessive Personality. New York: Science House, 1968.

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