Lolita Solipsism

Solipsism is the theory that oneself is the only known entity to exist and thus has various moral implications that allow one to justify their maltreatments of others. Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel Lolita delves into the outlandish mind of Humbert Humbert, an aging and obsessive man with a very peculiar taste in romantic partners. He is a self-proclaimed lover of nymphets, specifically girls between the ages of nine and fourteen. Along with this, Humbert also demonstrates a solipsistic worldview which in turn makes him view everything that happens around him solely from his point of view, as he is sure that his mind is the only thing that exists. This tendency from Humbert marks everyday happenings as acts of fate and the people he

Moore dubs Humbert as a “deceiving individual” because Humbert seems to speak in two different voices, which is representative of his solipsistic worldview (Moore). He goes on to say that Humbert’s first voice represents facts and reality while creativity characterizes his second voice. Humbert’s second voice is merely a tactic employed to distract his audience from the morally unacceptable actions he ensues. Moore goes on to say that Humbert “is in character when his sense of entitlement presumes that he fools an intellectually enfeebled readership with burlesques of various forms of narrative” (Moore). Instead of characterizing Humbert as schizophrenic, Moore believes that Humbert knows that he opts to use two voices, utilizing the latter one as an act. He becomes a magician of words and can hide the disgusting truth behind linguistic tricks. Moore goes on to reference Humbert saying, “Oh, my Lolita, I have only words to play with!” (Nabokov 32), calling it “a truism seasoned with wistful lyricism.” However, the only truth that Humbert can offer up is still sugar-coated artistic language as an attempt to coerce his audience into believing his horrific