Power of Diction: Vladimir Nabokov

A theme is any universal idea explored in a literary work. After reading the novel Lolita it became obvious that there were multiple themes occurring throughout the book. In my eyes the most important theme of them all was the power of diction and how Nabokov honored words because they elevated his artwork otherwise dreadful topic. This particular book is known for being risqué, but it is important to note that there are no four-letter words or any obvious graphic material; that's because of Humbert's word choice. The language used in Lolita successfully overcompensates the unadvisable content and allows a sense of beauty to prevail. Subjects such as murder, pedophilia, rape, and even incest are surprisingly appealing due to the way Humbert Humbert narrates each scene with powerful word choice. Humbert uses diction and other forms of diction such as alliteration and imagery to ensure the captivation of his readers, entangling and convincing them into buying his version of the confession.

Humbert's deliberately uses specific words to emphasize his innocence in the first sex scenes of the confession. When Humbert masturbates in front of Lolita, he uses words like “impudent child” and “masked lust to her guileless limbs” (Nabokov 58). This scene could have been really gross and more obvious, yet he chose words like “I performed the adjustments necessary for the success of the trick” (Nabokov 59). By using elevated diction, he successfully indulges the reader and creates a beautiful scene no matter what the subject is. If you read the novel and looked up every word you haven’t yet met in the dictionary (which for me would be several a page), you’ll be amazed at the perfect choice of word construction. There’s so much substance in Lo...

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...d imagery Humbert seduces his readers just as craftily as he seduces Lolita. Words are his power, and he uses them to charm and distract his audience. He is a pedophile and a murderer, but he builds up elaborate explanations for every doing, and his language protects him. With Lolita, Nabokov’s overreaching achievement may be that he forces readers to confide in Humbert’s crimes and bring reasoning to the table. Readers have to immerse themselves in Humbert’s words in order to uncover the true story. By closely engaging with Humbert’s word trickery, readers cannot hold him at a far enough distance to see him for the man he truly is.

Works Cited

Moore, Anthony R. "How Unreliable Is Humbert In Lolita ?." Journal Of Modern Literature 25.1 (2001): 71. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.

Nabokov, Vladimir Vladimirovich. Lolita. New York: Knopf, 1992. Print.