Lolita

A Lover or A Pedophile In his novel, Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov shares the disturbing desires of Humbert Humbert, a 37 year old man who becomes obsessed with pre-teen girls, after meeting his first love at a young age. He then meets 12 year old, Dolores Haze, also known as Lolita, who he becomes immediately infatuated with. There are many instances throughout the whole novel, where both Lolita and Humbert say that they are in love. However, Humbert Humbert’s feelings toward Lolita are expressed in an evil non-romantic way, because he has vicious thoughts, and is manipulative and selfish.

Humbert Humbert writes all of his malicious and lewd thoughts about young pre-teen girls or as he calls them, “nymphets.” He states that only men who are at

Humbert murders Charlotte, with hopes of Lolita never finding out. Humbert knew that once Charlotte is dead, he will be able to acquire Lolita all for himself, since he is the only legal guardian she has left. Instead of telling her the truth about her mother, he tells her that she is in the hospital dealing “with something abdominal” (Nabokov 112). He refuses to tell her that her mother had just passed, because he knows all their “fun,” and fooling around will come to an end, because Lolita would be ashamed of his presence. Humbert knows that telling her would mean that his desires and cravings would have to be stopped, which he deeply fears. He is afraid that once he loses Lolita, all his desires would never be fulfilled once more, by another nymphet. He only cherishes Lolita, with the mindset that she will give him what he wants the most - sex. Consequently with being selfish towards Lolita, he also threatens to tell her that he will leave her off at an orphanage if she continues to misbehave and disobey him. This shows that he does not truly love her if he is willing to abandon her to be taken care of by a group of strangers. He only says this to force her to stay along with him, and to act like he is an innocent, trustworthy man, with hopes of having his cravings fulfilled. Furthermore, he also selfishly blames his wicked desires on Lolita, by saying that “it was she who

He describes Humbert as a “moral abomination” (Metcalf), for his lewd, pedophilic actions. There are many instance throughout the whole novel, that shows that he is a person who is not worthy of approval. He selfishly looks after Lolita, so his desires will be successfully fulfilled and delivered by her, in return from nurturing her. He murders someone who has loved him, just so he can have a relationship with a nymphet. Metcalf explains that he has destroyed the true spirit of Lolita with the way he treats her. Through manipulation, constant dishonesty, and sexual treatment, her outlook on life has been altered into something more pessimistic, and negative. He has ruined her innocence and childhood for her. Lolita herself, even admits to Humbert destroying her by implying that she “was a daisy fresh girl” (Nabokov 140). Lolita implies that she was a delicate, little girl until Humbert comes around to change everything about her. She understands that fooling around with a man full of cruel thoughts, has shifted her into becoming something appalling, who she has never imagined herself ever becoming. Her childhood has become horrific, and immoral because of Humbert. He has corrupted her into becoming anyone and anything far from a child. This proves that Humbert had never loved her, because he was able to change Lolita through his manipulation, and