Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov, born in St. Petersburg, Russia on 22 April 1899, was a Russian-American novelist who was also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin. Nabokov originally began writing in Russian and wrote his first nine novels in Russian. However, Nabokov achieved international prominence after he started writing in English. Vladimir's finest novel Lolita is also considered his most controversial work because of the criticism it received due to its deep and warped erotic theme. Lolita is also considered as Nabokov's best work in English.
As a child, Vladimir Nabokov was quite gifted. Born to Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov and Helene Rukavishnikov Nabokov, Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was one of five children in a wealthy family. …show more content…
Lolita does not have an obvious sort of taboo as a theme despite the erotic elements that are deeply rooted in the plot. Nabokov uses Humbert's obsession or sin to portray the depth of pedophilia involved within the story and also, to build references to American culture.
It all begins with Annabel Leigh, Humbert's first love. During this part of the novel Nabokov begins to build the base parts of the plot by describing Humbert's affinity for 'nymphets'. Humbert's first love is also a reference to Edgar Allan Poe's poem Annabel lee. Poe's Annabel lee is similar to the construct of Nabokov's plot in Lolita. The speaker, in Annabel lee, talks about his long-lost love Annabel lee, a girl he knew when they both lived "in a kingdom by the sea." (Annabel lee) Humbert's love for Annabel is described in the following lines, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, exhibit number one is what the seraphs, the misinformed, simple, noble-winged seraphs, envied. Look at this tangle of thorns" (Lolita, Page 7) refers to the poem's lines, "With a love that the winged seraphs in heaven /Coveted her and me." The reference here is uncanny and presents the readers with a vague idea about the plot that lies ahead as the story …show more content…
Vladimir Nabokov didn't intent to write Lolita as a purist because concentrating on a single genre would make the novel obvious and the complex vocabulary of the narrator pointless.
Lolita itself makes a journey through different genres which surprisingly favors the reader's interest. The novel makes a significant transition in terms of genre the instant the reader associates it with a generic category. Including the ongoing satire throughout the story, there are many elements that reveal the mixed genre of Lolita.
The utopian idea of romance draws the attention of the reader at the beginning but the surprise of the brutal truth behind the plot . The detective genre, erotic genre, tragedy genre etc. come into play as soon as the characters become self-aware, in this case, Humbert's Paranoia.
The Allusions only further this characteristic of the novel and perhaps makes it even more rich in literary culture and as discussed America is one of the most prominent symbols in Lolita mostly because, here, America is more of an allegory than a
As a child, Vladimir Nabokov was quite gifted. Born to Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov and Helene Rukavishnikov Nabokov, Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was one of five children in a wealthy family. …show more content…
Lolita does not have an obvious sort of taboo as a theme despite the erotic elements that are deeply rooted in the plot. Nabokov uses Humbert's obsession or sin to portray the depth of pedophilia involved within the story and also, to build references to American culture.
It all begins with Annabel Leigh, Humbert's first love. During this part of the novel Nabokov begins to build the base parts of the plot by describing Humbert's affinity for 'nymphets'. Humbert's first love is also a reference to Edgar Allan Poe's poem Annabel lee. Poe's Annabel lee is similar to the construct of Nabokov's plot in Lolita. The speaker, in Annabel lee, talks about his long-lost love Annabel lee, a girl he knew when they both lived "in a kingdom by the sea." (Annabel lee) Humbert's love for Annabel is described in the following lines, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, exhibit number one is what the seraphs, the misinformed, simple, noble-winged seraphs, envied. Look at this tangle of thorns" (Lolita, Page 7) refers to the poem's lines, "With a love that the winged seraphs in heaven /Coveted her and me." The reference here is uncanny and presents the readers with a vague idea about the plot that lies ahead as the story …show more content…
Vladimir Nabokov didn't intent to write Lolita as a purist because concentrating on a single genre would make the novel obvious and the complex vocabulary of the narrator pointless.
Lolita itself makes a journey through different genres which surprisingly favors the reader's interest. The novel makes a significant transition in terms of genre the instant the reader associates it with a generic category. Including the ongoing satire throughout the story, there are many elements that reveal the mixed genre of Lolita.
The utopian idea of romance draws the attention of the reader at the beginning but the surprise of the brutal truth behind the plot . The detective genre, erotic genre, tragedy genre etc. come into play as soon as the characters become self-aware, in this case, Humbert's Paranoia.
The Allusions only further this characteristic of the novel and perhaps makes it even more rich in literary culture and as discussed America is one of the most prominent symbols in Lolita mostly because, here, America is more of an allegory than a