What rhymes with Dolores?

Plot•The novel begins with an introduction by Dr. John Ray who is in fact a fictional character.•Charlotte Haze takes Humbert on a tour of the house, he ends up having a chance meeting with her daughter Dolores Haze and Humbert immediately falls in love.•Humbert marries Charlotte to stay close to Dolores. Charlotte finds his diary, threatens Humbert, and in a desperate rage runs out of the house to be hit by a car. •Humbert fetches Lolita from camp and takes her on a road trip about the United States. •Settle in Beardsley, Leave Beardsley, Road trip, Lolita runs away.•Humbert has a series of breakdowns and finally reunites with Lolita after she send him a letter asking for money. •Humbert murders Clare Quilty and is arrested.

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of ANNABEL LEE;And this maiden she lived with no other

thoughtThan to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,In this kingdom by the sea;

But we loved with a love that was more than love-

I and my Annabel Lee;With a love that the winged seraphs of

heavenCoveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chillingMy beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsman cameAnd bore her away from me,To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

Inter-texts

• Edgar Allen Poe• James Joyce• A whole ream of French

Writers• Himself• Fictional Quotes

• “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.” pg.9

• “[seeing] in this respect the monumental decision rendered December 6, 1933, by Hon. John M. Woolsey in regard to another, considerably more outspoken, book”

• “I remember thinking that this idea of children-colors had been lifted by authors Clare Quilty and Vivian Darkbloom from a passage from James Joyce…”pg. 221

• “There are in my notes “Otto Otto” and “Mesmer Mesmer” and “Lambert Lambert” but for some reason I think my choice expresses the nastiness best.” Pg. 308

“Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta” pg. 9

“She sat a little higher than I, and whenever in her solitary ecstasy she led to kiss me, her head would bend with a sleepy, soft drooping movement that was almost woeful, and her bare knees caught and compressed my wrist and slackened again; and her quivering mouth, distorted by the acridity of some mysterious potion, with a sibilant intake of breath came near to my face. She would try to relieve the pain of love by first rubbing her dry lips against mine; then my darling would draw away with a nervous toss of her hair, and then again come darkly near and let me feed on her open mouth, while with a generosity that was ready to offer her everything, my heart, my throat, my entrails I gave her to hold in her awkward fist the scepter of my passion.’ Pg. 15

Style

• “I am like one of those inflated pale spiders you see in old gardens.” Pg. 49

• “And less than six inches from me and my burning life, was nebulous Lolita! After a long stirless vigil, my tentacles moved towards her again, and this time the creak of the mattress did not wake her.” Pg. 130

On the surface, what makes Lolita shocking?

Young Women (Nymphets) that are aware of their

sexuality

Reader’s Experience

Nabokov’s point in writing the novel

The Charges

Allegorical Irony

• There are two issues going on here.– Humbert steals the apple as

if to steal her innocence.– Lolita is the original sin.

Humble Humbert

• Constantly transitioning names– Humbert loses the sense of who he is.

– Chameleon likes features = adapts to the situation as his name changes.

Lo and Behold

• Humbert applies the name changing Identity to Dolores.– Lo, Lolita, Dolores, Dolly, Little Haze, etc.

Oh my Carmen, my little Carmen.

– Humbert foreshadows Lolita’s inevitable death

– Sexual extortion drives her to her explicit lifestyle and eventually to her death

Maraschino Cherries and Ice Cream Sundaes

– Repetition of food– How Big Haze should not be eating away at her

already deterioration body and sexuality.– Lo’s ability to constantly eat sweets as they won’t

affect her young prime body. – Cherry Imagery– Humbert’s ‘sweet’ tooth

Lo and Behold

• Humbert applies the name changing Identity to Dolores.– Lo, Lolita, Dolores, Dolly, Little Haze, etc.

Stealing Honey

•Humbert justifies his actions because he doesn’t disturb her innocence

•Who is seducing who?•Who is more ‘perverted’?