“Lolita” by Vladymir Nabokov Essay
The relationship between Humbert Humbert and Lolita, is extremely undefined. Many readers that have read Lolita find it to become based on “lust”, while others get Humbert to really be in “love” with his Lolita. However , there is certainly evidence that Humbert’s desire to have Lolita is based on some obsessive-compulsive behavior which usually he cannot control, and so keeps coming back again for her.
Humbert’s obsessions may be clearly known in his behaviors when looked upon in L. R. Beech’s Obsessional Declares and Claire Brink’s Passion and Lifestyle: A Study of Sexual Obsession in Modern day Fiction’s understanding of what obsession is. Humbert’s obsessional tendencies are displayed in many passages through his detailed word selections and his above bearing individuality, such as if he describes Lolita after returning from camp to be, “…all rose and honey, ressed in her brightest gingham, with a routine of tiny red apples, …with scuff marks like tiny dotted lines of coagulated rubies, as well as the ribbed cuffs of her white clothes were turned down. ” Passion can be a hard subject since there is not a finite definition of what obsession really is.
Who determines what obsession is? The moment does profound admiration move and passion begin? In respect to H. Jack Rachman “an infatuation is a great intrusive, repeating thought, photo, or instinct that is undesirable or unwanted and gives rise to subjective resistance” (2). Furthermore, Claire Brink says that “…the popular which means of the term obsession, such as new verb ‘to obsess, ‘ which means to be constantly preoccupied regarding something, generally in an ineffective relationship” (195). These comparable definitions are very important when looking at Humbert’s actions since his actions are recognized by these types of qualities.
1st, Brink states that most individuals have an obsessional defense, which defense is definitely brought out of men because of their fear of women. More specifically, this kind of defense device is explained as the “internalization of bipolar impulses to equally accept and reject a similar attachment object…” (195). He further describes it while “…a security in which the internalized mother is usually split into taking and rejecting aspects in which the person benefits quasi-independence coming from her simply by identifying with her. ” (Nabokov, 112) This conception is shown in Humbert’s relationship with Charolette Haze.
By Humbert describing Charlotte upon generally there first ending up in “the poor lady in her midsection thirties, your woman had a shiny forehead, plucked eyebrows and quite simple…” (Nabokov, 37) Furthermore, Humbert states, “Had Charlotte been Valaria, I would have regarded how to handle the problem by simply twisting body fat Valechka’s frail wrist but anything from the sort in regards to Charlotte was unthinkable” (83) as a way of letting the reader understand his sense of fear, his lack of control, and his frustration to restore his feeling of control. Hoping of regaining his shed sense of control Humbert plots to kill Charlotte now; with out her in his method Lolita would be his, and he would have full control of her.
However , Humbert hardly ever went through together with his scheme for the simply reason, “poets never kill” (Nabokov, 88) In accordance to Brink’s definition of obsession, Humbert generally seems to fall elusively into obsessional defense in the sense that compulsive men’s anxiety about women also manifests by itself as control (196) Humbert’s tendency to become controlling throughout the novel prospects the reader to think he is fanatical. Throughout the novel Humbert remains in control quite often, not only in control of the personas, but likewise in control of your readers.
For example , Humbert tries to control the reader by causing them believe that his aspect of the history to be the case: “Frigid gentlewomen of the court! …I will tell you anything very peculiar: it was the girl who seduced me” (Nabokov, 132). Humbert also attempts to influence the therapists, saying, “I uncovered there was an endless source of powerful enjoyment in trifling with psychiatrists: cunningly leading all of them on; under no circumstances letting them notice that you know all the tricks of the trade; inventing for all them elaborate dreams, …teasing these fake “primal scenes”…” (34). Brink, activities on this picture stated “the sadistic, controlling intent of the statement of knowing greater than the therapist is standard of obsessional patients…” (102).
Humbert offers this ought to feel he’s in total control. When the control is definitely lost, a desire to preserve his impression of prominence can defeat him. This is certainly best shown to the reader as Humbert kills Quilty near the end of the book. Although previously not taking the opportunity to kill Charlotte, Humbert has already misplaced his control of Lolita, his love, and therefore finds getting rid of Quilty as a means of having some sort of control recuperated.
Strolling through Quilty’s house, before murdering him, Humbert locked as many doorways as he could, controlling exactly where Quilty could retreat to. (Nabokov, 294) However , following the murder, while swerving backwards and forwards along the road, Humbert is definitely stopped by the police, including that point gives up full control for insanity. (306-307) And thus, upon shedding control it can be discovered Humbert truly is obsessive. Humbert’s obsessiveness is additionally conveyed through the words this individual uses, and the descriptions he gives; his language provides obsession.
For example, after Humbert’s first intimate encounter with Lolita he describes her as “brown, naked, frail Lo, her narrow white-colored buttocks in my experience, her sulky face to a door looking glass, stood forearms a geniculate, feet (in new slippers with pussy-fur tops) wide apart…”(Nabokov, 137-138). By keeping in mind such depth while in jail years after the incident it seems quite clear that Humbert had an compulsive nature. This is also conveyed if he describes Lolita as “naked, except for one sock and her attraction bracelet, a velvet curly hair ribbon would still be clutched in her hand; her honey-brown body, with the white adverse image of a rudimentary bathing suit patterned against her tan” (125).
Lolita is a very difficult novel to analyze due to the many interpretations of different persons. However , it really is apparent that Humbert was suffering from some kind of excessive disorder. It can be apparent merely in what Humbert talks about and how he says it.
There are handful of instances inside the novel where Humbert is usually not speaking about Lolita or fascinating regarding having total domination more than nymphets.
