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?"