Monday, April 22, 2013

The Power of Language in Lolita

Humbert Humbert is successful with impressing us as the readers with his use of language. We know his actions and thoughts are morally wrong and vulgar, but his intelligence is impressive. He uses French as an emphasis to his seduction of the readers-which is ultimately his goal. Humbert wants the reader to view his perspective, and to not characterize him as a child molester. Although I am impressed with his use of sentence variety and use of French, I do not feel sorry for Humbert nor do I favor him in any way.
We as the readers explore Humbert's thoughts. He reveals his desires and experiences with his first love Annabel and random nymphets. As Humbert reveals himself to us, I cant help but feel more disgusted. What made me dislike him more was when he stated, "I should say, generally thirty or forty, and as many as ninety in a few known cases, between maiden and man to enable the latter to come under the nymphet's spell"(Nabokov 17). Humbert is blaming children for his issues and desires, but is still using advanced language to make us impressed with him. This makes me disgusted because he knows his actions are wrong, but he is trying to manipulate us into thinking he is a functioning person.
"While my body knew what it craved for, my mind rejected my body's every plea"(Nabokov 18), this quote is another example of Humbert trying to get us to understand his motives. If a man cannot control himself and cannot have normal relationships with women and children, then it is obvious that he has a mental issue. The fact that he is in jail comforts me. I feel that I would be more disturbed if he was not punished for his crimes. I am curious to know if I am the only one who is disgusted with Humbert. Does anyone feel impressed with his language, or feel sorry for him in any way?

3 comments:

  1. I agree. Humbert Humbert is trying to disguise and hide his disturbed way of thinking with the use of his intelligence and manipulative ways. I do feel sorry for him because he cannot help the way he is feeling. He is obviously not well because he is a full grown man who is incapable of controlling his actions. That does not justify what he is doing but I do feel sympathy for him. Humbert Humbert is living his life in a constant "want but cannot have" due to his deranged thinking. What makes me wonder is if Annabel had not died, would he or would he not be the way he is now? I honestly believe he would still have that inner, sick craving for young girls. Did he crack and change his ways when Annabel died or was he always, truly deranged? The fact that he had such a strong desire at such a young age for Annabel also makes me wonder. In his description it is difficult to see because Humbert makes it sound very elegant and almost as if nothing is happening when really Annabel seems to be nervous and uncomfortable during their interactions. For example: “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.” Vladimirovich Nabokov can truly capture the readers’ attention because not only do the readers despise Humbert Humbert and his actions but also feel sympathy for him.

    Being that Humbert is writing for inside a jail, it raises another question and that is, is Humbert also a murderer? Was he caught for murder or because he was involved with a young girl? My views on Humbert are constantly changing and I think that is because he writes with a layer of different meanings behind his words. I continue to find him more and more surprising each chapter.

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  2. Good questions Alex. I for one have a bit of compassion for Humbert Humbert. If H.H is truly only attracted to young females (or nymphets (and I do think that distinction needs to be made)) then I wish he would have sought out some help for his pedophilic tendencies; however, at the time the story is taking place, I'm not sure there is a shrink in the world who wouldn't have had him committed. I for one and impressed with his intelligence, and, simultaneously, I feel sorry for him. He is such an injured and distraught soul. And once you get over the innate icky-factor, I think there is an injured soul here. With all this said, even now I'm always a bit nervous in defending his actions because they are so reprehensible; but I'm going to stick my ground and say that this is a person who I feel deeply sorry for.

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  3. I agree with you Alex, but I do not feel any sympathy for Humbert Humbert. H.H. knows what he is doing is wrong, but he has no self control. He may be deranged, but he is obviously intelligent. I feel as if he used his vocabulary to try and belittle the readers mind. If the reader is so focused on his vocabulary and impressed by the way he depicts his emotions they can forget the wrongness of his actions. I believe that is H.H's goal. But when I take the time to decipher his sentences I cannot help but feel disgusted by the things he has done and his infatuation with young girls. And when I think about Katherine's theory that Annabel's death maybe the reason H.H. is the way he is, I'm not sure if I agree. If H.H. and Annabel were really nine at the time of their relationship I'm not sure if there actions were normal. Yeah sure kids play around but as a kid I did not know any other kids doing the actions H.H. describes. To me he has been messed up from the beginning. And maybe thinking that way makes me change my mind and feel sympathy for H.H. but I just cannot get past the moral factor.

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