Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Can something so controversial and disguising be regarded for having merit? Many people have quarreled over this matter and formulated acute positions. Some have taken their opinions to the extreme by advocating for the removal of the distasteful topic from literature; while others argue that though the content is vulgar, there is an intended meaning the author wishes to express. I would have to side with the latter of these two positions. Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita is one such novel that has produced concern over its questionable subject matter. On the surface, the novel tells of a fourteen year old girl becoming seduced by a middle aged man, but Lolita goes much deeper than its sexual substance. When readers look past their discrepancies, it allows them to analyze the text more open-mindedly. I will admit that to do this a high maturity level is required, which many high school students may not have developed yet. Furthermore, parents may find the piece objectionable due to religious or cultural beliefs and does not want their child open to such crudeness. In accordance to these reasons, I don’t believe Lolita should be taught in regular High School classrooms, and should only be offered to AP students and as pleasure reading.

Before forming an appropriate opinion on Lolita’s banning, basic knowledge of the text is required. The book received its title from Dolores Haze, a fourteen year old girl, who has become the object of aged Humbert Humbert’s obsessive sexual attention. Humbert falls in love with the innocent “nymphet” at first glance, and marries her mother to remain close to his real love. He begins logging dreams and fantasies of Dolores and himself in a journal, which becomes discovered by his wife who urg...

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...lling of Dolores and tries to isolate her the same way he had done to himself. Though, Nabokov uses Humbert’s disorder as a way to establish a situation, in which an abusive relationship could easily sprout; it has also created much controversy and debate as an effect.

Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita has distinguished itself as one of the most controversial stories in American history due to its questionable content. However, if one truly understands the meaning behind the use of such deplorable aspects of life, than the question of whether the book promotes pedophilia become apparent. Though, even with an accurate understanding of Nabokov’s message the book can still be a challenge to some. Readers must have to ability to put aside personal afflictions and confront the novel with an appropriate maturity level to accurately analyze and interpret the text.