Welp, we're finally here. It was a wild ride, this book. So many emotions drawn out that made my life more complicated at the end of the day. Shall we summarize then? Is the answer yes? Then there's only one way to do it.
Now this is a story all about how
my life got flipped, turnt upside down,
and I'd like take minute so please don't be afraid,
I'll tell you all about this little girl named Dolores Haze.
In my Paris Riviera, born and raised
On the beaches, were I met my first love craze
Chillin out maxin relaxin all cool
Then my lady died of Typhus and my heart sank in a pool
But then a couple years passed and everything seemed good
Found love from a woman in my neighborhood
But I had one slight problem and again don't be scared but
I think I love my stepdaughter who's within my legal care
So I met lovely Lolita and when she came near
Our romance exploded but her mother was my fear
If anything, tripping and falling into a car was rare
But then the Doctor came knocking to swoop my girl for his affair
I. Pulled. Up to a house called the Pavor Manor
Unloaded some rounds, but I was busted by the Feds and
The door slammed shut and I was finally here
To sit in my cell until my last breath of air
Yup. That happened.
But in all seriousness with book was definitely an interesting read and was very thought provoking. I had never read a book that challenged my way of thinking quite like Lolita did. Ms. Richey definitely was not kidding when she said it was one of the best works of prose in literature. The language was so intricate that it was even entertaining for the wordplay alone. I feel that the language and vocabulary were challenging enough to give me new words to look up in the dictionary every now and then. But I was not a fan of the French sprinkled throughout; I felt left in the dark when I didn't understand the dialogue or narration.
In reading opinions on the book beforehand, I don't think anything could have prepared me for the plot line and just how emotionally invested I would become with the characters. There was almost a sense of betrayal when I saw Humbert becoming more of an antihero in the story with the deliberate manipulation to get what he wanted. And all that was left in the end was a dead man, a much later dead man, and a young girl robbed of a healthy childhood. But I'm sure if every story had a happy ending, Disney would have become the gold standard of storytelling. I feel that the ending was smart in leaving room for interpretation by the reader rather than a blatant explanation of morals and ethics. Speaking of which, now having actually read the book, I can say that the novel is very far from advocating for pedophilia. Humbert is a man broken beyond repair and seeing him slowly spiral into depression, dependence, paranoia, and then murderous rage was quite the roller coaster ride.
This project, as late and as grueling was my progress, was a positive experience. 8/10 would recommend.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Cristian 7 - Close Reading
For my final close reading entry and penultimate, I feel it would be appropriate to present a passage from the climax/falling action of Lolita. Passage is from Part II, Chapter 35.
"The whole sad business had taken more than an hour. He was quiet at last.
Far from feeling any relief, a burden even weightier than the one I had
hoped to get rid of was with me, upon me, over me. I could not bring myself
to touch him in order to make sure he was really dead." (Pg. 304)
This passage comes after Humbert murders Dolores's accused kidnapper, Dr. Ivor Quilty. After kidnapping Dolores, Quilty then attempted to force her into participating in a child pornographic orgy. When she refuses, she is kicked out and left alone and not to mention pregnant.
The symbolism of this event is an idea that has been toying with my mind ever since starting the novel. With Humbert killing Quilty, it is almost as if Humbert has destroyed the stereotype of the manipulative and abusive pedophile that preys on the innocence of children. Humbert has attempted to distance himself from this character that society has created and in killing Quilty, Humbert ultimately proves to the reader that they are not the same figure. A sense of closure is given to Humbert and to the reader. However, this does not make Humbert's actions against Dolores any more forgivable ion the eyes of the reader. As the novel progressed, we have seen Humbert coming very close to transforming into the predatory creature that Quilty exemplifies.
Conclusively, Humbert feels this differentiates them by a greater margin than we the reader truly perceive. After witnessing how unstable and manipulative Humbert, at the end of the day neither of them are forces for good, which is why Humbert's character as an antihero keeps the reader questioning whether it would be any bit sensible to trust this man. In the eyes of society, he is still a monster and a criminal. If this was a case study to prove to the general public that pedophiles were not bad people, the results of would seem favorable at first, but quickly turn into lost cause. Confession of a White Widowed Male might be a bigger understatement than ol' Humbert having a screw or two loose.
"The whole sad business had taken more than an hour. He was quiet at last.
Far from feeling any relief, a burden even weightier than the one I had
hoped to get rid of was with me, upon me, over me. I could not bring myself
to touch him in order to make sure he was really dead." (Pg. 304)
This passage comes after Humbert murders Dolores's accused kidnapper, Dr. Ivor Quilty. After kidnapping Dolores, Quilty then attempted to force her into participating in a child pornographic orgy. When she refuses, she is kicked out and left alone and not to mention pregnant.
The symbolism of this event is an idea that has been toying with my mind ever since starting the novel. With Humbert killing Quilty, it is almost as if Humbert has destroyed the stereotype of the manipulative and abusive pedophile that preys on the innocence of children. Humbert has attempted to distance himself from this character that society has created and in killing Quilty, Humbert ultimately proves to the reader that they are not the same figure. A sense of closure is given to Humbert and to the reader. However, this does not make Humbert's actions against Dolores any more forgivable ion the eyes of the reader. As the novel progressed, we have seen Humbert coming very close to transforming into the predatory creature that Quilty exemplifies.
Conclusively, Humbert feels this differentiates them by a greater margin than we the reader truly perceive. After witnessing how unstable and manipulative Humbert, at the end of the day neither of them are forces for good, which is why Humbert's character as an antihero keeps the reader questioning whether it would be any bit sensible to trust this man. In the eyes of society, he is still a monster and a criminal. If this was a case study to prove to the general public that pedophiles were not bad people, the results of would seem favorable at first, but quickly turn into lost cause. Confession of a White Widowed Male might be a bigger understatement than ol' Humbert having a screw or two loose.
Cristian 6 - Close Reading
My second close entry leads us further along the plot into Part II, Chapter 1.
"By rubbing all this in, I succeeded in terrorizing Lo, who despite a
certain brash alertness of manner and spurts of wit was not as intelligent a
child as her I.Q. might suggest. But if I managed to establish that
background of shared secrecy and shared guilt, I was much less successful in
keeping her in good humor. Every morning during our yearlong travels I had
to devise some expectation, some special point in space and time for her to
look forward to, for her to survive till bedtime. Otherwise, deprived of a
shaping and sustaining purpose, the skeleton of her day sagged and
collapsed." (Pg. 151)
In the passage, during their beginning travels of the United States, Humbert realizes the danger of him being a convicted criminal if Dolores were to ever accuse him of rape or related crimes. He then fills her ear with a hypothetical scenario of him in prison and her living the sad life of an orphan. Humbert intentionally does this to manipulate Dolores, as confessed in the passage. It is clear that Humbert is a very dynamic character, at least in the readers. It can be dually assumed from textual evidence that either Humbert had ill intentions from the start or he was spurred into this state through the events that transpired in the novel.
From an analytical standpoint, the evolution of Humberts character can very well be a representation of the evolution of the pop culture and Post Modernist themes in the novel that were presented in the Critical Lens Expert prompt. Say for instance we choose the later of the assumptions that Humbert was changed by the events in the novel. Juxtaposed to the development of Consumerism in America, they both began with a burning desire to pursue an opportunity in good faith. But as time progressed, the intentions slowly changed over time to accommodate their own selfish interests rather than that of others. Humbert is the machine and Dolores is the raw material to be bent and molded to his will with enough force and careful procedure. The same level of interpretation can be drawn from the former assumption of Humbert's constant ill intentions. The same process was carried out and it was not until the effects were irreversible and careful reference to past events that we can see where these signs may have hinted that it was opportunistic manipulation from the very start.
"By rubbing all this in, I succeeded in terrorizing Lo, who despite a
certain brash alertness of manner and spurts of wit was not as intelligent a
child as her I.Q. might suggest. But if I managed to establish that
background of shared secrecy and shared guilt, I was much less successful in
keeping her in good humor. Every morning during our yearlong travels I had
to devise some expectation, some special point in space and time for her to
look forward to, for her to survive till bedtime. Otherwise, deprived of a
shaping and sustaining purpose, the skeleton of her day sagged and
collapsed." (Pg. 151)
In the passage, during their beginning travels of the United States, Humbert realizes the danger of him being a convicted criminal if Dolores were to ever accuse him of rape or related crimes. He then fills her ear with a hypothetical scenario of him in prison and her living the sad life of an orphan. Humbert intentionally does this to manipulate Dolores, as confessed in the passage. It is clear that Humbert is a very dynamic character, at least in the readers. It can be dually assumed from textual evidence that either Humbert had ill intentions from the start or he was spurred into this state through the events that transpired in the novel.
From an analytical standpoint, the evolution of Humberts character can very well be a representation of the evolution of the pop culture and Post Modernist themes in the novel that were presented in the Critical Lens Expert prompt. Say for instance we choose the later of the assumptions that Humbert was changed by the events in the novel. Juxtaposed to the development of Consumerism in America, they both began with a burning desire to pursue an opportunity in good faith. But as time progressed, the intentions slowly changed over time to accommodate their own selfish interests rather than that of others. Humbert is the machine and Dolores is the raw material to be bent and molded to his will with enough force and careful procedure. The same level of interpretation can be drawn from the former assumption of Humbert's constant ill intentions. The same process was carried out and it was not until the effects were irreversible and careful reference to past events that we can see where these signs may have hinted that it was opportunistic manipulation from the very start.
Cristian 5 - Close Reading
As this is my first close reading entry, I will be providing a passage from Lolita to analyze. This particular passage is from Chapter 23.
"Naturally, at first, when Charlotte had just been eliminated...
there was but one thing in my mind and pulse--namely, the awareness that a
few hours hence, warm, brown--haired, and mine, mine, mine, Lolita would be
in my arms, shedding tears that I would kiss away faster than they could
well. But as I stood wide-eyed and flushed before the mirror, John Farlow
tenderly tapped to inquire if I was okay--and I immediately realized it
would be madness on my part to have her in the house with all those
busybodies milling around and scheming to take her away from me." (Pg. 101)
Shortly after Charlotte's accidental death, Humbert is struck with a troublesome amount of emotions. But is not because he had loved Charlottle at all; it was the sheer guilt that his careless actions with the journal had provoked the incident. This is shown in the returning admiration of Dolores. Not even the death of his possible future wife could work to suppress his obsessive and possessive attitude ("..warm, brown--haired, and mine, mine, mine, Lolita would be in my arms..") towards Dolores. This instance characterizes Humbert as a man who seeks to retain any possession without interference from anything else.
The passage also serves to highlight his awareness in being careful and secretive in seeing Dolores and fully recognizes the societal taboo of his affairs (as he has stated countless times before). But his determination leads him astray from the risks of pursuing these insatiable desires. The concept of an "unreliable narrator" also comes into to play as the reader recognizes the faults in Humbert's actions and thinking. At this point, especially with such a critical event just taken place, his true intentions and motives show. The veil of his intellectual and melodramatic prose slowly lifts from the readers eyes as we once again raise the question: "...You alright there, Humbert?"
"Naturally, at first, when Charlotte had just been eliminated...
there was but one thing in my mind and pulse--namely, the awareness that a
few hours hence, warm, brown--haired, and mine, mine, mine, Lolita would be
in my arms, shedding tears that I would kiss away faster than they could
well. But as I stood wide-eyed and flushed before the mirror, John Farlow
tenderly tapped to inquire if I was okay--and I immediately realized it
would be madness on my part to have her in the house with all those
busybodies milling around and scheming to take her away from me." (Pg. 101)
Shortly after Charlotte's accidental death, Humbert is struck with a troublesome amount of emotions. But is not because he had loved Charlottle at all; it was the sheer guilt that his careless actions with the journal had provoked the incident. This is shown in the returning admiration of Dolores. Not even the death of his possible future wife could work to suppress his obsessive and possessive attitude ("..warm, brown--haired, and mine, mine, mine, Lolita would be in my arms..") towards Dolores. This instance characterizes Humbert as a man who seeks to retain any possession without interference from anything else.
The passage also serves to highlight his awareness in being careful and secretive in seeing Dolores and fully recognizes the societal taboo of his affairs (as he has stated countless times before). But his determination leads him astray from the risks of pursuing these insatiable desires. The concept of an "unreliable narrator" also comes into to play as the reader recognizes the faults in Humbert's actions and thinking. At this point, especially with such a critical event just taken place, his true intentions and motives show. The veil of his intellectual and melodramatic prose slowly lifts from the readers eyes as we once again raise the question: "...You alright there, Humbert?"
Cristian 4 - Critical Lens Expert
In this entry I will be responding to an article relating to Postmodernism in Lolita, specifically its significance in showcasing a deep connection between Postmodernism and Popular Culture. Link.
Overall, I agreed with the general consensus of the article. Even before reading the article, I had rough ideas of Lolita's significance in Postmodernism and pop culture but far more separate before the article established the connection between the two.
The introduction establishes some mutual understandings and explanations of these ideas. This ncludes Frederic Jameson's idealogical definition of Postmodernism being that "there is no prior meaning, rather the cultural realm in itself makes meaning as it transpires."(Pg. 275) The speaker then explains this abstract idea that Postmodernism builds upon itself in pop culture, allowing for a constant evolution which is a characteristic of society itself. The speaker then relates the themes of Lolita to ideas of consumerism, Dolores being the commodity and Humbert being the consumer. As shallow as it might be to assume that the relationship is simply Humbert objectifying Dolores, it is a conclusion that is drawn from textual evidence. This also stems from the fact that Humbert is an unreliable narrator and not everything that he conveys to the reader can be taken as absolute. His intelligent use of prose works to mask his intentions from the reader.
While agree with the significance of the the novel with Postmodernism in pop culture, I am a little on the fence about the comparison to objectification and consumerism. However, the points presented are valid and hold as much value as any other opinion. I may be feeling this way because when reading the article, it felt like I discovered that a friend had been lying to me. I may have invested too heavily in Humberts narration to take it as trustworthy as I did. The article definitely brought me some valuable insight that I can apply to my further reading of the novel.
Cristian 3 - Responding and Reflecting
To kick off my second responding and reflecting entry, I will be going through a passage from Chapter 22 of Lolita.
"The Haze woman, the big bitch, the old cat, the obnoxious mamma,
the--the old stupid Haze is no longer your dupe. She has--she has . . ."
My fair accuser stopped, swallowing her venom and her tears. Whatever
Humbert Humbert said--or attempted to say--is inessential. She went on:
"You're a monster. You're a detestable, abominable, criminal fraud. If
you come near--I'll scream out the window. Get back!" (Pg. 91)
With a plot that involves such complicated secrecy and blind passion, I saw the inevitability of this moment coming from a mile away. For context, this exchange is Humbert and Humbert's fiancee Charlotte, shortly after she discovers his secret diary that contained his negative thoughts of her and, most importantly, accounts of his fondness for Dolores. But at this point, even with Charlotte's rage, I knew Humbert would persevere or else there wouldn't be 200 pages left in the book. Nevertheless, the intensity of the situation made me keep on reading, just to see how Humbert would recover from such a devastating setback.
And they I stopped and asked myself "Am I really rooting for this guy?" It was an odd question to ask but seeing that it was purely fiction, I answered to myself "Maybe." The fact of the matter that Humbert had grown on me as character which I had empathy for. As troubled as he was, Dolores seemed to be the only thing keeping him happy at this point. And I realized that was in jeopardy of being taken away from him. He'd had already been through enough things being taken from him that placed him in the mental and emotional state he was currently in. This normalized rationale of the situation was a turning point in the text for me as it opened my eyes a bit to the approach that I was taking with the novel and ultimately, its impact on my own thinking.
"The Haze woman, the big bitch, the old cat, the obnoxious mamma,
the--the old stupid Haze is no longer your dupe. She has--she has . . ."
My fair accuser stopped, swallowing her venom and her tears. Whatever
Humbert Humbert said--or attempted to say--is inessential. She went on:
"You're a monster. You're a detestable, abominable, criminal fraud. If
you come near--I'll scream out the window. Get back!" (Pg. 91)
With a plot that involves such complicated secrecy and blind passion, I saw the inevitability of this moment coming from a mile away. For context, this exchange is Humbert and Humbert's fiancee Charlotte, shortly after she discovers his secret diary that contained his negative thoughts of her and, most importantly, accounts of his fondness for Dolores. But at this point, even with Charlotte's rage, I knew Humbert would persevere or else there wouldn't be 200 pages left in the book. Nevertheless, the intensity of the situation made me keep on reading, just to see how Humbert would recover from such a devastating setback.
And they I stopped and asked myself "Am I really rooting for this guy?" It was an odd question to ask but seeing that it was purely fiction, I answered to myself "Maybe." The fact of the matter that Humbert had grown on me as character which I had empathy for. As troubled as he was, Dolores seemed to be the only thing keeping him happy at this point. And I realized that was in jeopardy of being taken away from him. He'd had already been through enough things being taken from him that placed him in the mental and emotional state he was currently in. This normalized rationale of the situation was a turning point in the text for me as it opened my eyes a bit to the approach that I was taking with the novel and ultimately, its impact on my own thinking.
Cristian 2 - Reflecting and Responding
For my first responding and reflecting entry, I will be analyzing the following passage from the fifth chapter Lolita.
"Now I wish to introduce the following idea. Between the age limits of
nine and fourteen there occur maidens who, to certain bewitched travelers,
twice or many times older than they, reveal their true nature which is not
human, but nymphic (that is, demoniac); and these chosen creatures I propose
to designate as 'nymphets.'" (Pg. 16)
When I first read this passage, I taken aback by this idea because it was a new one that hadn't crossed my mind when first thinking of the motivations and justifications behind pedophilia. I always assumed that pedophiles craved the innocence of children but this idea of the "nymphet" child differentiated Humbert from the preexisting idea that was in my head. Because of this, I was able to not necessarily sympathize but understand Humbert's idea. Even after I carried on reading, the passage still stuck with me because all I could think of were girls I remember from school who fit the idea of a "nymphet". The ones that grew up too fast, at an almost worrying rate. I could only imagine having a daughter who fell into this character or, even worse, realizing it when it's too late. The level of vigilance I would have to subject my own child to would be pretty worrisome.
The "nymphet" idea appears frequently throughout the novel and every time I was met with it, I was able to see how this idea could garner the same reaction I had. Granted, I would say I'm a very open person, and if this drew a reaction out of me, I can see how society could quickly reject the idea and dispute it as a justification for selfish desires. But I went in with an open mind and made an effort to ask questions and reflect to myself. Post modernism definitely has an appetite for breaking the molds of the past but there is always a metaphorical line in sand. Oddly enough, the idea alleviated the discomfort I had beginning the novel because I was able to tell myself that he wasn't necessarily taking advantage girls, but seeking those who were not so innocent; and to me, Dolores Hazes was the most extreme example of the idea.
"Now I wish to introduce the following idea. Between the age limits of
nine and fourteen there occur maidens who, to certain bewitched travelers,
twice or many times older than they, reveal their true nature which is not
human, but nymphic (that is, demoniac); and these chosen creatures I propose
to designate as 'nymphets.'" (Pg. 16)
When I first read this passage, I taken aback by this idea because it was a new one that hadn't crossed my mind when first thinking of the motivations and justifications behind pedophilia. I always assumed that pedophiles craved the innocence of children but this idea of the "nymphet" child differentiated Humbert from the preexisting idea that was in my head. Because of this, I was able to not necessarily sympathize but understand Humbert's idea. Even after I carried on reading, the passage still stuck with me because all I could think of were girls I remember from school who fit the idea of a "nymphet". The ones that grew up too fast, at an almost worrying rate. I could only imagine having a daughter who fell into this character or, even worse, realizing it when it's too late. The level of vigilance I would have to subject my own child to would be pretty worrisome.
The "nymphet" idea appears frequently throughout the novel and every time I was met with it, I was able to see how this idea could garner the same reaction I had. Granted, I would say I'm a very open person, and if this drew a reaction out of me, I can see how society could quickly reject the idea and dispute it as a justification for selfish desires. But I went in with an open mind and made an effort to ask questions and reflect to myself. Post modernism definitely has an appetite for breaking the molds of the past but there is always a metaphorical line in sand. Oddly enough, the idea alleviated the discomfort I had beginning the novel because I was able to tell myself that he wasn't necessarily taking advantage girls, but seeking those who were not so innocent; and to me, Dolores Hazes was the most extreme example of the idea.
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