In this extract, Nabokov’s use of wordplay is evident, notably through the repetition of “H.H” in the protagonist’s name and the name of Lolita’s deceased father. The use of this repetition aligns the characters into the same role, as both older male figures in the novel. Moreover, the idea of Humbert as a father figure to Lolita is noteworthy as, due to her biological father’s death, she is notably absent of such a figure in her life and would, therefore, look to Humbert to fill that role. However, Humbert is shown to believe that Lolita’s feelings towards him are sexual, most evident where he claims that she seduces him in the motel room, which may not be the case and may be an altering of the truth on Humbert’s part. This links to the extract …show more content…
These are all reactions to actions involving Lolita, as his humming was while he was “in quest of [her]” and his heart beating “like a drum” was in response to her “cool skirt ballooning” as she sat down next to him, and “played with her glossy fruit”. The fact that Lolita catches the apple as it makes a “cupped polished plop” contributes to the sexual tone throughout the extract, as well as the alliteration and the onomatopoeic “plop” used in the phrase. Furthermore, the fact that object in question being an apple as the fruit is often referred to a somewhat forbidden fruit due to its use in the Bible as the fruit that Eve eats in the Garden of Eden. Nabokov even refers to the forbidden fruit (analogy) where he describes Lolita’s apple as “Eden-red”. This, therefore, suggests Lolita is somehow playing with temptation and is emphasised where, at the end of the extract, “Humbert Humbert intercept[s] the apple”, as though taking that temptation away from her. The situation is then resolved where Lolita is shown to grab the apple from him and takes a bite, where Humbert says his “heart was like snow under thin crimson skin” (Nabokov, 2011, page 63), leading back to Nabokov’s repeated descriptions of Humbert’s bodily
Jimmy S.Baca use of metaphors, similes, imagery, diction, tone and mood are used in a very effective way in his essay Coming into Language. His use of metaphors and similes really give the reader a visual, helping develop imagery. Baca’s use of imagery paints pictures in the reader’s head but also develops a type of emotion by the use of diction. The word choice used provides the reader with an understanding of where the author is coming from leading us into tone and mood. The author’s tone starts off very low but by the end of the essay you will feel very satisfied.
This can be seen in the fourth line, “very prickly, a penalty” as if words were a “black art” of mystery. In setting a secretive tone, the speaker makes it sound as if one needs to be careful with what they say. Another example of alliteration can be seen in the tenth line, where the speaker states, “strengths or squinched,” identifying those words as “peculiar.” Not only that, but the speaker would “squeeze, squinch open, and splurge well” in the “silent, startled” September. In the love for blackberries, the speaker also is displaying their love for learning and life with the use of the
Vladimir Nabokov, the author of Lolita, a tale of a man and his superficial love for an adolescent girl. Nabokov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1899 but died on July 2, 1977 in Switzerland after writing a surplus of various novels, one of them being Lolita. He studied at Trinity College in Cambridge then moved to the United States where he received great recognition for his work as a novelist. Nabokov wrote Lolita because he thought it was an interesting thing to do and he liked to create riddles with “elegant solutions.” Nabokov’s tale was originally written in Russian as a prototype with few changes to the course of Lolita.
The pear tree for example is similar to that of the Garden of Eden. The pear tree and the horizon signify Janie’s model of a perfect life. In the bees’ interaction with the pear tree flowers, Janie witnesses a perfect moment in nature, full of energy, interaction, and harmony. She chases after this ideal life throughout the rest of the book. Janie’s romantic and idealistic view of love, seen in her reaction to the pear tree, partially explains why her earlier relationships are not successful. It is not until later in her life, when she slowly opens up to her relationship with Tea Cake on a more mature level, that Janie sees what love really is. Janie resists Tea Cake at first, remembering her early pear tree encounters, and her early sexual awakening. She becomes infatuated with Tea
...Piercy badgers the reader with Comstock's view of women (mostly in the descriptions of his dutiful wife and obedient daughter) to illustrate his sexism, however, the belabored point begins to fall flat and instead leaves the character feeling one-dimensional. Likewise, even men initially introduced to the reader as pro-feminist, like Theodore Tilton, meet with a predictable sexist ending. These men were no doubt chosen to embody the patriarchal society of then and today, but the unyielding portrayal began to feel overwhelmingly oppressive (perhaps her intent) and a novel so based in realism, on that point, began to feel contrived, therefore unrealistic. Nevertheless, Piercy compares and contrasts the experiences of the characters', offering them up to the reader, perhaps in hope that similarities can be identified and a feminist dialogue can be started or continued.
The novel introduces HumbertHumbert, a man with charm and the dignity of being a teacher in Paris. Yet, we instantly find he is a sexually disturbed man, lusting for young, prepubescent girls. His perversions are obvious--we can tell from his journal--and the ideas are highly obsessive with the topic of young girls. His mind is always on his first true love, his young Annabel, who died a short time after his first sexual encounter with her. Humbert says, "I see Annabel in such general terms as: 'honey-colored skin,' 'thin arms,' 'brown bobbed hair,' 'long lashes,' 'big bright mouth' (11). This, in fact, becomes his outline for a nymphet, or a girl between the ages of 9 and 14. One who meets his strict criteria is to become a gem in his eyes, yet treated with the same objectivity as a whore. He considers them all sexual objects for his enjoyment because he is a man who wishes to dominate these girls at such a young age.
... and Lopukhov had to receive permission from one another in order to be able to enter each other’s room. They further established a “neutral” room where they were able to talk and drink tea together. Chernyshevsky purposely paints these characters the way they are to exemplify how men and women are able to have a respectful, egalitarian life together. The equal relationship between sexes could also suggest a relationship of equality between social classes.
Base needs met, Chef moves to fulfill sexual needs without love; just an opportunity to pontificate to “get the girl”. A painting of an apple causes Chef to dwell on times past; a time before war. A time of friendship; not love. We do not need details. The apple peeling away is enough. It is a comfort to him. A simpler less complicated time where his life was his own. Art stimulates the mind.
Humbert reminds the reader of his effectiveness at both seduction and therefore dominance early in the novel: “I was, and still am, despite [my misfortunate], an exceptionally handsome man.” (25) Even after all that he has went through, as this is written in his prison cell, he still claims to be as powerful as he ever was. And with such a disposition, he boasts of his ability to dominate the opposition by seducing any female, (even though he does so sometimes with exceptional motives.) He exemplifies it by wedding ...
“Lipsticks the color of cherry candy” (4) suggests quite a lot. “Cherry candy” obviously represents an extremely bright red color. Red lipstick has an intense connotation of being associated with sexy and sexually promiscuous women. Because red is such a sexualized color, the line really calls back to the idea of being both a young, innocent child and a girl, inescapably female. Further, the “cherry” part has quite a lot of significance as well, if not more than the color. Cherry is often used as a sort of slang term for the hymen where “popping your cherry” means to lose one’s virginity (What Does Pop). It could be that the cherry colored lipstick is encouraging the “girlchild”’s sexuality or perhaps referring to the value of holding on to her “cherry,” or, in other words, her virginity. In the last stanza of the poem the “girlchild” is “displayed on satin” (19) in her casket and “dressed in a pink and white nightie” (22). Satin is reminiscent of luxurious satin sheets on a bed or even of the material of a slinky, sexy pink and white nightie. While a nightie is a rather obvious sexualization, the colors are significant as well. Pink is often associated with women, especially young girls. It has a certain
With his 1955 novel Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov invents a narrator by the name of Humbert Humbert who is both an exquisite wordsmith and an obsessive pedophile. The novel serves as the canvas upon which Humbert Humbert will paint a story of love, lust, and death for the reader. His confession is beautiful and worthy of artistic appreciation, so the fact that it centers on the subject of pedophilia leaves the reader conflicted by the close of the novel. Humbert Humbert frequently identifies himself as an artist and with his confession he hopes “to fix once for all the perilous magic of nymphets” (Nabokov, Lolita 134). Immortalizing the fleeting beauty and enchanting qualities of these preteen girls is Humbert Humbert’s artistic mission
Nabokov’s adept ability to manipulate the audience into making the reader offer consolation with even the most flagrant crime of Humbert Humbert evoked a sympathy which virtually connived his transgression. In a sense, we have accepted his wrongdoings towards Lolita even though unsubtly, Humbert Humbert’s monstrosity is prevalent throughout the novel. In order to approach Dolores, he toyed with Charlotte’s feelings and after Charlotte died, he claimed it to be “the miracle I hankered for” (117). At the point where Humbert Humbert brought Lolita to the “Enchanted Hunters” hotel following her mother’s death, it is evident that Humbert Humbert is a delirious rapist and one who doesn’t deserve even the slightest of compassion. The audience will sympathize Dolores Haze, “who has been deprived of her childhood by a maniac” (283). However, we also learn that Lolita was not as innocent as she is portrayed...
Natasha, Wolfe, and Khrenov have colorful dreams of distant lands. Nabokov wrote Natasha in 1924, a few years after the Russian Revolution. The Bolsheviks took control over Russia after the revolution and many of the rich were exiled or faced death. Natasha and her father could have been past nobility that was exiled to live in another country. The forced exile of the Khrenov family gives a purpose to the dreams they have. Khrenov remembers the village they lived in and the sawdust that covered the bridge. Khrenov also has nightmarish dreams where he sees a barrel of a gun pointed at him in his sleep. The dream with the gun could be a memory from his past when the police may have forced him and Natasha out of their old home. Wolfe’s dreams
The people in our lives are a significant part of shaping our lives since there are no parents in the World State the other kinds of people such as friends and acquaintances are the only kinds of people influence Lenina. So far the only person who is her friend that influences her is Fanny, yet she doesn't provide much insight other than discussing gossip and just warning her about going with the same person one too many times. As interpreted from their discussion in the locker the locker room. “And after all,” Fanny’s tone was coaxing, “it’s not as though there were anything painful or disagreeable about having one or two men besides Henry. And seeing that you ought to be a little more promiscuous.” (Huxley 42). Their conversations are very typical and serve no
Anton Chekhov includes many dimensions to the plot of the Seagull in order to add increased depth to the story. The conflict, climax, complications, and denouement of the play all benefit from the wide range problems that Chekhov implants through the characters. In addition, the complex character relationships add to these events, without confusing the reader. These four events all rotate around the play's four main characters, Nina, Irina, Treplev and Trigorin. The play's central conflict is between Treplev and Trigorin, who holds the love of both Irina and Nina. Complicating this conflict is the relationship between Irina and Treplev and Irina's feelings towards Nina, Treplev's love interest. The climax of the play is a fight between Irina and Treplev, who can't come to terms on her relationship with Treplev. This fight reflects the lack of care that Nina has for her son, which ultimately leads to the play's denouement, not included in the play. However, the denouement is left for the reader to imagine. Although some of the problems faced by Chekhov's characters would seem insignificant if taking place in real life, on stage, the conflicts are magnified due to the relationships between the characters and the events that take place as a result.