Vladimir Nabokov Lolita Analysis

Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita" was a difficult novel to read but nonetheless captivating. Although it was touching an extremely sensitive subject, pedophilia, Nabokov sustained a graceful flow and persuasive tone throughout the novel that at times, almost made me forget he was courting a twelve-year-old orphaned girl. To me, "Lolita" would be best described as an immoral unrequited romance and as a tragedy. A "quest" is what I see the narrator, Humbert, describing throughout the novel. After he has Dolores all to himself, he shows how much he cares for her, providing her with clothes and shelter. He goes along with her sarcastic, almost vulgar, attitude and takes great detail into making her happy. His "quest" is to capture the young girl's affections. Even though Humbert continually stresses how much he loves the girl, I believe he was never actuallu in love with Dolores. Instead, he was in love with the idea of Lolita. Humbert sees Lolita as a reincarnation of his childhood lover, Annabel Leigh. By obsessing over his new nymphet, he is liberated from his past. Humbert's past is full of lies and manipulation; this gives him an edge over the other characters. I found myself sympathizing with him and convincing myself that he was suffering mentally, that he couldn't help who he …show more content…
The difference, however, is that although "Lolita" is an uncomfortable subject, it is much more intriguing than "The Awakening". It provides a sophisticated prose on a sensitive matter creating a lot more depth and intimacy with the reader. "The Awakening" for me, was extremely boring and difficult to get through. The end result for both novel's was that they're both classics and challenge the reader to push themselves out of their boundaries with language. "Lolita", however, delivered an exciting yet sinful read that leaves the reader with their own judgement to think upon and detailed character