Lolita

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A Love Story: Or Is It?

“Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins, my sin, my soul” (Nabokov 9). Quoted from Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita, Humbert Humbert briefly describes his sensibilities towards his love Lolita. I’ve italicized love for the reason that this book is perceived often as not a true American love story but as a pedophile’s lust. The reasoning for the italicization is because I wanted to emphasis on the point that this book offers more than that of a pedophile’s love. Nabokov’s novel does a very good job of creating an interesting yet unorthodoxed plot. What Nabokov might find acceptable in today’s society, some people might find very offensive and disrupting. He does this to grab the reader’s attention; therefore, building their interests by having them see the other side of things. Why many readers may find this book to be associated with pornography or just another literary piece surrounded around pedophilia, Nabokov hits you with textual evidence, which may sway reader’s minds. As a reader of this novel, I am compelled to show you how this book is a true American “Love Story.”

Before I move on, I’d like to actually show you that Humbert is indeed considered a pedophile and let’s not forget this. Gunter Schmidt, once wrote that:

Pedophiles are men whose sexual wishes and desires for relationship bonds and love are focused either primarily or exclusively on children who have not reached puberty, whereby the relative importance of each of these three areas—sexuality, relationship, and love— may vary, as it does with other people as well. (Schmidt 473)

As you can see, Schmidt has laid out a very narrow and precise definition of a pedophile. With only reading the first line, I noticed that auto...

... middle of paper ...

...articles written by knowledgeable researches that help back up my argument. I agree that one may say that Humbert was a pedophile but people can change in flash and I feel that the evidence I have provide you with is substantial. Humbert isn’t a bad guy in the least bit, he’s just confused but then soon finds reality. Lolita was the best medicine for him. Lolita’s actions towards Humbert somewhat pushed him away from the pedophile stage because Humbert felt that he was the one being used. She was very mature than the other prospected nymphets, which had a great impact on him. Humbert has feared love his entire life until Lo enters his life. This novel may have some disturbing and gruesome parts but this just leads to the ultimate goal and that’s love. With evidence provided, Nabokov’s stylish, high-toned story is the greatest love story every published.

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